Grissom's Heart
by Bookworm06
Summary: A case turns personal for Grissom...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** _Many thanks to_ _piccolina789, for beta reading._

* * *

A police officer was just coming out of the derelict house that served as that night's crime scene as both Sara and Grissom approached. As they drew closer, the officer ran past them, a hand clamped over his mouth. Grissom quirked an eyebrow as he glanced at Sara, as they continued into the house.

Grissom moved slightly ahead of her, entering the house first. As she followed after him, the smell was the first thing to assail her nostrils as she looked around the crime scene, and unusually for her, felt bile rise from the pit of her stomach. She'd been feeling a little off for a few days, but until this moment had managed to keep the nausea under control. Her stomach churned once more and Sara swallowed several more times, fighting the wave of nausea.

The body lay on the living room floor of the derelict house, by a large window. Judging by the level of decomposition, not to mention the odour, the body had been there for a few days at least.

"Body dump?" Sara suggested, noting the lack of blood surrounding the body and again tried to hide her discomfort, as the smell of the decomp permeated the air.

She barely heard Grissom's reply, as the churning in her stomach proved too much for her to handle. Turning she quickly left the house, and just managed make it to the edge of the property, to vomit without contaminating the crime scene.

Grissom followed her out, but allowed her some privacy before turning the corner. She turned to face him, as she straightened up, looking both apologetic and sheepish at the same time.

"You gonna be ok?" he asked, a hint of concern edging his voice, as he watched her closely. In all the years he'd known her, he'd never seen her react like this.

"I'm okay," she nodded, willing the writhing in her stomach to still. She bent to pick up her kit, and instantly regretted it, as another nauseous wave swept over her.

Grissom stepped closer; the lazy flash of the red and blues of the police cars out front hadn't prevented Grissom from seeing the colour drain from Sara's face. He grabbed her arm, letting his concern show.

"Honey, you don't look so good," he said. " Go back to the lab, I'll get Greg to replace you here, and you can help Nick process the car from last night."

Sara wanted to protest that she'd be fine, but the look of concern on Grissom's face stopped her.

"Dear, if you aren't feeling well, this really isn't the place to be," he continued. "In fact, take the night off, and see how you are tomorrow."

"Its just a stomach bug," she protested. "I can still work…"

Grissom shook his head. "Go home, Sara," he insisted, in a tone he rarely used with her. "I'll call later, see how you're holding up."

Sara knew when she was defeated. With a heavy sigh she slowly nodded her head, looking far from happy over the situation, as she headed back towards the Denali.

* * *

Grissom pulled into the driveway of his apartment building and switched off the engine, before closing his eyes with a sigh, and resting his head against the backrest.

It had been a tough shift and for once, Grissom was relieved that work was over. The decomp was proving more difficult to identify, than Grissom first thought. At least he knew one thing - the two bullets Doc Robbins had pulled from the body confirmed the John Doe's cause of death.

He opened his eyes with another sigh, and glanced up at the building as thoughts of Sara crossed his mind, wondering if she were feeling any better, since he'd last called her.

When he entered the apartment, it was cool and inviting. As he set his keys on the counter in the kitchenette, he sensed rather then heard movement behind him, breaking him from his thoughts. He turned to find Sara standing by the stairs, wearing a thin flowered dressing gown that hugged her lithe frame. She half smiled.

"Hey," she greeted, before walking over to meet him.

"Hey. Feeling any better?" he asked, as she neared him. Although still pale, she seemed much better than she had at the crime scene.

"Yeah, it was a one-time thing. You know, I could have stayed, we're short as it is."

"We managed," Grissom answered titling his head slightly. He could smell a hint of lemon in her hair, from her shower. "And you're entitled to a sick day, once in awhile," he continued as he drew her closer.

He cupped her face, his lips brushing against hers, with a feather-light touch. As he pulled her more tightly against his body, her hands travelled up his jacket, one hand resting on his shoulder, the other on the back of his head, as the kiss deepened.

They parted only when the need for air, became necessary. Grissom rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed. "I missed you," he admitted, his voice low and soft.

Sara smiled again. They'd been together nearly sixteen months, and he still found it hard to express how he was feeling. But he was trying. Besides, there were other ways than words. She rested her hand against his cheek, his neatly trimmed beard, prickling the skin of her palm. "It shows."

The last rays of the sun filtered through the partly open curtains, of Grissom's bedroom. He lay on the bed, his arms wrapped around Sara, her head resting on his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart.

Before they knew it, it would be time for work, and the pretence would have to begin again.

Grissom shifted into a more comfortable position, at the same time dipping his head, as he captured Sara's mouth with his own.

Sara returned the pressure, grasping at the chance for any last minute contact. He's lips moved from her mouth to her neck. His lips moved down her neck, trailing kisses from her jaw down to the spot behind her ear that made her shiver, his hands exploring her body. She gasped as he nibbled her ear lobe, their breathing quickening.

Grissom's phone rang, but he ignored it, finding Sara's mouth again, instead, his tongue seeking and then gaining entrance, entwining with hers.

The cell phone silenced, only to be followed by the home phone.

"It could be important," Sara broke off the kiss with a gasp.

" _This_ is important, " muttered Grissom, now turning his attention to her breasts.

From downstairs, came the muffled but urgent sounds of hammering on the front door. Grissom's cell phone rang again. Then, more muffled hammering on the door.

The mood broken, Grissom rose off the bed, with an irritated sigh. He shrugged into his bathrobe, casting an apologetic look in Sara's direction.

"This better be good," muttered Grissom as he opened his door to find Brass standing outside.

Brass' face was deadpan, as he quirked an eyebrow. "Hope I wasn't interrupting?" he asked as he stepped into the apartment.

"You were," stated Grissom, letting his irritation show.

Brass did a double take at the tone.

"Hope it wasn't something too important."

"It was."

Grissom headed over to the kitchenette and Brass followed after him, watching as Grissom set about making some tea.

"A body's been found up by Lake Mead," Brass decided on getting down to business. It wasn't often Grissom showed his irritation, and when he did, it had to be serious. "It's just your thing; a bug-fest."

Grissom sighed and ran a hand through his rumbled hair.

"I'll be ten minutes."

He headed towards the stairs, just as a floorboard creaked upstairs, followed by muffled sound of the bathroom door slamming shut.

Grissom turned to Brass, with a deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression, knowing that he had heard it too.

Again, Brass raised an eyebrow. "You have a houseguest?" he questioned, surprised.

"I do have them occasionally," Grissom responded, as though it wasn't out of the realms of possibility. He headed towards the stairs just as Sara, wrapped in her dressing gown, came down them.

Brass was just in the middle of apologising again, when he saw Sara from the corner of his eye.

"Hey, Sara," he greeted automatically.

He turned his attention back to Gil, before a frown crossed his face, followed by surprise. He looked from one to the other, piecing everything together, and _what_ exactly he's unexpected arrival had interrupted. Brass' jaw dropped slightly and he murmured the only thing he could think of, "Well it's about damn time."


	2. Chapter 2

Brass stood a respectful distance back as he watched Grissom work. The CSI paused now and then to take photos.

The body had been found some distance from the more populated area. Judging by her youthful face, Jim guessed her to be in her early teens, fifteen, if he had to make a specific guess. Whatever had happened to her, she hadn't gone without a fight as he noted the defensive wounds on her hands.

"So," Jim broke the silence as Grissom bent down by the body. "You and Sara."

Grissom pursed his lips and tilted his head to one side, reaching out to collect a maggot with his tweezers.

"Third instar," he stated, deliberately avoiding answering Brass' inquiry. Grissom continued to collect more larvae. "She's been dead around four days."

Brass sighed inwardly, taking the hint. He should have known better than to expect a straight answer to his inquiry. Grissom had been quiet on the drive out to Lake Mead, oblivious to any small talk Jim had tried to initiate.

 _Shortly after Sara had made her presence known, they'd both retreated upstairs returning dressed fifteen minutes later. Grissom had grabbed the keys off the breakfast bar, glancing at Sara in one of their silent commutations that only they ever seemed to understand, before heading out the door._

"Just so you know," Jim said, keeping his voice low, as Grissom worked on collecting evidence. "It stays with me."

He wasn't sure if he really saw Grissom pause and tilt his head in acknowledgement, or if he only imagined it, as he continued working the scene.

* * *

At the start of her shift at the lab, Sara stared into the depths of her locker, not really seeing it. Her thoughts were a thousand miles away.

Still distracted, she didn't realise that Catherine had entered the locker room until she was standing next to her.

"Sara…are you okay?" It was clear from her tone that it wasn't the first time she had asked. She sounded worried.

Still feeling dazed Sara turned, still not quite registering what Catherine had said.

"Im fine," she replied automatically.

"Are you sure?" Catherine continued to push, her concern growing. "I heard Grissom sent you home last night... some kind of stomach bug…. To be honest you still don't look well."

Sara pulled herself together physically and mentally, not relishing the thought of a thousand questions to her well-being or the threat of being sent home again. At least until she'd had chance to talk to Grissom.

"I'm fine, really," Sara assured the older woman, and silently congratulated herself on sounding at least half-convincing. "I stopped by the drugstore on my way in for some antacids."

Catherine looked doubtful for a second, and then nodded.

"If you say so," she said. "Grissom called, he's on his way back from Lake Mead with Brass. I'm handing out assignments until he gets back."

When Catherine had gone, Sara sank onto the bench with a shaky sigh. Though she knew Catherine didn't fully believe her protests, she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that the inquisition was over…for now.

* * *

Grissom returned to the lab after another hour with the bugs and the body, first dropping off the evidence and samples he'd collected from the scene to their respective lab techs. He was about to enter his office when Sara appeared at his elbow.

A small smile twitched at the corner of his mouth as he turned to face her. His eyes shone at the sight of her.

"Have you got a minute?" she asked quietly.

Her face and her tone were serious and Grissom felt his stomach drop and the smile and the glint in his eyes dimmed somewhat.

"I'm due in the morgue in about five minutes…" he began.

"It's important…"

"What's on your mind?" he asked, closing the door behind him, to give them some privacy. "If you're worried about Brass…"

"This isn't about Brass," Sara cut him off, her voice not quite steady. "It'd be a lot easier if it were…"

Grissom crossed over to her, his face showing his concern. He grasped her hands in his. They were freezing.

"Tell me," he encouraged, his eyes not leaving hers.

Sara shook her head, fighting back the tears she felt building behind her eyes, and burning her throat. A tear escaped her right eye. She swallowed the lump that was making it hard to breath, hard to talk.

"With the doubles we've worked recently I've only just realised…I'm late…" she trailed off, at the same time catching the look of confusion on his face. "I'm pregnant," she clarified.

It took a moment for the confusion to lift. The moment it did it was followed by shock, and then quickly followed by that look he'd often adopted when he wanted to pretend he didn't have a clue what she was talking about. As he let go of her hands, she saw the barriers that they had both worked so hard to bring down go back up.

Children had never been a topic of conversation between them and the statement hung heavy in the air between them. Grissom tried to think of something to say, as his Adam's apple bobbed. He swallowed, and uttered a barely audible "Oh!"

His pager beeped, startling them both in the heavy silence that followed his singular word. Feeling conflicted over the interruption he glanced at the message. It was from Doc Robbins.

"I'm needed in the morgue," he repeated, already turning towards the door. "We'll…. we'll talk later…."

Sara couldn't believe what she was witnessing. She'd just told him she was pregnant and he was walking away as though she'd just said it was raining. She felt confused and scared. She needed to know she had his support.

Her nerves were already at a breaking point along with all the conflicting emotions she was feeling, and Grissom wasn't helping. She couldn't quite stop the retort that fell from her lips to he's retreating back.

"This isn't going to go away, Gil."

* * *

Somehow the rest of the shift passed by in a blur for both of them. It was a miracle in itself that the Jane Doe found at Lake Mead was ever identified at all. Bree Thomas had been a runaway, reported missing a day before she was assaulted and murdered. Her family had been informed and the hunt for her murderer was in full swing.

Grissom had been distracted enough by Sara's revelation, that people had noticed. After Hodges had jumped on the "are you okay?" bandwagon, Grissom had retreated to his office, feigning a migraine. It was one thing he knew that would guarantee that he would be left alone.

He had a open file in front of him he didn't remember opening and a mountain of paperwork, that he barely acknowledged.

Sara was having his baby. The thought made his heart jump and his stomach twinge nervously. The thought of fatherhood had crossed his mind once or twice over the years, but it had never been at the top of his to-do list. The few relationships he'd allowed himself to have over the years, had been with women whom he also knew wouldn't want kids, avoiding the situation altogether.

But this was _Sara_.

This was completely different altogether. From the moment he'd first met her, she'd thrown him off balance. Her inquisitive mind had been a refreshing change to the usual humdrum questions, he'd often been asked during his seminars. He'd called her his star pupil and when she'd flashed that gap-toothed grin, though he hadn't realised it then, that had been the moment she'd stolen his heart.

Until Sara, no one else had looked beyond his imperfections, without judgement. In her, he'd found a kindred spirit that he could no longer deny. In loving her, he'd regained his balance.

And as scared as he was at the prospect of becoming a father, the idea was slowly starting to grow on him.

He found it hard to express, but he _did_ love her. That simple fact opened up an arena of possibilities that both exhilarated and scared him to death. She'd put the magic back in his life. And to deny that, would be to deny love itself.

He'd been an ass to her he knew. He should have handled it better instead of allowing his old habits of burying his head in the sand to potentially ruin the best thing in his life.

That thought propelled him to his feet, out of his office and into the SUV without a second thought or backward glance.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Many thanks again to _piccolina789_ for being my Beta. And many thanks for the lovely reviews. They are very much appreciated.

* * *

Sara was on the sofa with her long legs drawn up and her chin resting on her knees when Grissom entered the apartment.

"Honey, I'm sorry," he said as he approached the sofa and sat down next to her. "I should have handled it better."

It was a few minutes before she turned to face him, her mouth pulled down at the corners. She looked like she'd been crying and he mentally kicked himself.

"I really needed to talk to you… but you walked off with barely a word…"

"I'm not good with stuff like this, but I'm trying Sara," he said quietly, watching her closely. "I needed time to process. But you're right, we do need to talk".

He bit his lip, considering what to say. He rejected his first and second thoughts.

Sara waited, giving him the time he needed to gather his thoughts together. Rushing him wouldn't do any good.

With a sigh, he shook his head. He took a breath, his eyebrows narrowing as he ran with his thoughts.

"I know this is a shock to both of us. I'd never really give much thought to being a father, but now that its happening, the idea is growing on me."

He paused, his tongue licking his dry lips nervously.

"It still scares me," he admitted softly. "I'm not as young as I was…"

Sara sighed and shook her head. A slight smile spread across her face, despite the fears she felt.

"We've been through this," she replied, reaching out and touching Grissom's soft salt and pepper curls. "This has never mattered to me... it's quite attractive, actually."

She knew that despite how long they'd been together, he still feared that one day the age difference between them would matter. She'd assured him that his fears were groundless; she could never imagine herself with anyone else. Granted, she had tried other relationships in the past, but none of them had amounted to much. The plain and simple truth of the matter was that none of them were _him_.

He grabbed her hand and kissed her palm.

"I'm serious, Sara," he insisted as gently as he could. "The fact still remains, that its quite possible I won't be around to see our child grow up. And the idea of you raising a child on your own both saddens and depresses me."

He sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging slightly. Thoughts spun around his head, faster then he could make sense of them. He swallowed, and shook his head slightly.

"There's something else to consider, too," he said before he again hesitated, not used to expressing his feelings so openly. "My mother wasn't born deaf… she has otosclerosis and lost her hearing when she was eight."

He lifted his head and looked directly at Sara. He blinked slowly. "It's… hereditary. There's a chance that the baby could be born with it, or develop it later in life."

Sara stared at him silently. Grissom had mentioned that his mother was deaf, before she'd met her for the first time, six months into their relationship. Initially, she had been nervous on meeting Betty, naturally worried if she would approve of her relationship with her son.

Grissom had assured her that she had nothing to worry about; his mother would love her just as much as he did. As usual, he'd been right. Within five minutes of meeting, Betty swept Sara into a warm embrace, smiling brightly. Sara had felt overwhelmed by the feeling of acceptance and belonging for the first time in her life.

Since then, Grissom had taught her to sign and the three of them often had dinner together.

"If its hereditary then you…." Sara started, her quick mind figuring it out. "Tom Haviland' s trial…you couldn't hear what Wescott was saying…"

Grissom nodded. "I managed to get by, by lip reading. It was intermittent at first. I thought if I ignored it, it'd go away. Eventually, I couldn't deny it any longer, and I had surgery. It was a gamble. Sometimes it doesn't work. I got lucky."

Sara grasped his hands in hers and gave them a reassuring squeeze. He give her a lop sided smile.

Sara pulled her hands free of Grissom's, and pushed a few stray strands of hair that had fallen loose of her ponytail, behind her ear.

"I'm glad that you trust me enough to tell me this."

She drew her long legs up again, and hugged them to her. She looked down at the floor, rather than face Grissom.

"I don't how I should feel about this either," she said. "The idea of being a mother scares the hell out of me."

She shook her head, feeling tears building in her eyes again. She bit down on her lip, hoping the pain would stop the tears from falling.

"You were lucky," she stated quietly, conjuring up a memory of Grissom and his mother together and how close they were. A loving bond between mother and child, just as it should be. She would never admit it to him, but for a brief moment, she had envied him.

Her chin trembled, losing the battle to stay strong, and not let her emotions overpower her. Her brown eyes looked like melted chocolate as the tears pooled in her eyes, but didn't fall.

"You didn't grow up, fearing when the yelling would start again. Or the next argument... walking on eggshells just to keep the peace for as long as you could."

The tears started to fall and Sara's voice caught as she continued.

"Screwing your eyes shut and covering your ears while you hid under the bed, so you couldn't hear the screams…. the endless trips to the hospital…."

Finally the dam broke, and Sara's body shook with the strength of her sobs. Holding back had taken too much energy and she was spent. Grissom grasped her hand tightly in his own, his heart breaking just as it had on the night she'd told him her mother had killed her father.

Just as then, she looked lost and vulnerable. He hadn't been able to do much more than hold her hand, just letting her know that he was there for her. It hadn't been because he didn't want to – he cared for her - but at that point in their relationship, he could only comfort her as a friend.

Now that their relationship was much more intimate, he didn't hesitate on what to do. He gathered into his arms without a second thought.

"Honey…" he whispered, his own voice holding a quiver. "We've not had the most traditional of upbringings. But you've learned from your mother's mistakes, and we've both come a long way since our childhoods."

He released her as her heart wrenching sobs eased, drawing back to plant a kiss on her forehead, and wipe her tears away with his thumb, gently caressing her cheek.

"I love you," he whispered, after a brief hesitation, looking at her intently. "I know the baby wasn't something we planned and we're not exactly society's idea of a conventional family. But together, we can make this work."

A memory of Grissom convincing a little boy to allow him to take evidence from him suddenly flashed in Sara's mind. The boy wouldn't let anyone near him, except Grissom.

With a patience she didn't possess, Grissom had chatted away to the boy – Deacon Preston – for over half an hour, before finally Deacon allowed him to take the swabs and scrapings.

The thought that he would be a good father swiftly crossed her mind.

It was quickly followed by the thought that despite the risk of inheriting otosclerosis, their son or daughter wouldn't be any less loved. It wasn't ideal, but better that than what she'd experienced as a child.

That thought and Grissom's words calmed her slightly and with a small smile, she nodded her head.

Grissom's eyes danced as he drew her into his embrace again, his mouth capturing hers as he kissed her fervently.

He didn't think it could be possible that he could love her any more than he did. But what she'd given him this day, managed it with little effort.

Not only had she given him a second chance at life, now he was going to be a father.


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry for the delay on chapters, blame RL interfering. Again many thanks to piccolina for the Beta. Many thanks also for my reviewers, they are always very much appreciated._

* * *

The sound of raining managed to wake Grissom, later that afternoon. He laid there quietly, his eyes closed, as he listened to the rain hitting against the bedroom windows. He stretched out a hand towards Sara's side of the bed. It was cold to the touch indicating that she had been up awhile.

Rising, he shrugged into his dressing gown, before making his way downstairs.

Sara was curled up on the sofa staring out the windows, watching the rain thoughtfully. Her laptop was open, resting on her knees.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked, kissing the top of her head, before joining her on the sofa. He stifled a yawn.

"I was just thinking," she replied, her thoughts and voice, still distant. "How much everything has changed in the space of a day. Yesterday we only had ourselves to think about, and now…" she placed a hand on her stomach as she glanced down. "Two has become three…"

Grissom reached out grasping her hand, reassuringly. "It's going to take time to get used to," he agreed.

Sara smirked, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"We have eight months…" her voice trailed off, making Grissom glance her way.

She still looked worried. He squeezed her hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of it.

"Sara?"

It was a moment before Sara lifted her head up to face Grissom. Doubt still edged her words as she stammered, "Are…are you…okay…with this?"

Grissom scooted closer, moving the laptop off her knees and pulling her legs across his thighs. He leaned over her as he kissed her. His hand left the one he was holding, as he brushed his fingers across her cheek. Looking deeply into her eyes, he whispered, "We're in this together, remember?"

She nodded slowly, as his reassurance allayed some of the fears and doubts she still felt, knowing that he felt the same.

"It complicates things a little though, doesn't it?" she asked, with a soft sigh, as Grissom straightened up again. "Eventually it's going to be obvious I'm pregnant, then everything is going to come out. Ecklie is going to have a field day."

Grissom pursed his lips in thought. "We don't have to tell them straight away," he replied after several minutes. "We can keep this just between us, at least for now…"

Sara shook her head, reaching out for his hand. "Baby, we can't hide the pregnancy for very long. As much as we'd like to…"

Grissom shook his head. "I don't intend to…just let's…get used to the idea first. Another week or two isn't going to do any harm. As for Ecklie…that's _my_ problem…"

Sara gave his hand a squeeze, making Grissom turn to face her.

" _Our_ problem," she insisted. "I want to be there too, when you tell him. Maybe taking a bit of time won't hurt either," she agreed. Adding, "We can still handle things as we have been…at least for the short term."

* * *

Much later at the lab, after a brief parting of the ways, Grissom headed into his office. His desk was covered with paperwork, and Grissom sighed with a slight shake of his head at the sight of it. He had enough to deal with, without having to deal with that too.

Catherine caught up with Grissom just as he stepped out of his office with assignments in hand, looking preoccupied.

She greeted him, but he remained distracted until she touched his arm, finally gaining his attention and causing him to stop in his tracks.

"Are you alright?" Catherine asked him, raising an eyebrow.

He shook his head slightly, an eyebrow shooting up into his hairline, confusion on his face.

"I'm fine, why?"

"I've been talking to you for the last five minutes," Catherine stated. "You didn't hear a word I said, did you?"

She stared at him - _really_ stared at him. Something was definitely up.

"Something's different about you." She said. " You're distracted – more than usual – you're leaving when shifts over…"

Her eyes roved over him from head to toe.

"…You've lost weight," she continued, still looking at him with a critical eye.

"If I didn't know better…you got a girlfriend hidden away somewhere?"

"No-oo," Grissom replied, a little too quickly to be convincing, pursing his lips as Catherine's eyebrow inched a little higher at his denial. Turning without a word, he continued on to the break room.

The small talk ceased the second he entered the break room and he wasted no time in handing out the assignments for the night.

"….and lastly, Catherine you're at the body farm with me…"

"Oh, joy" stated Catherine with a marked lack of enthusiasm. "Can't Sara do the body farm thing? No offence…"

"None taken," Sara smirked.

"No.," Grissom said quickly, as Sara's smile faded. " Sara you still have outstanding paperwork to complete and a follow-up from last week."

Sara's face fell as Grissom and Catherine turned to leave, leaving Sara the only one left in the break room.

She rose to her feet, not liking at all that this was now the second night she'd been assigned to the lab instead of the field.

"Hey Grissom, could I talk to you?" she asked, trying not to let the irritation edge her voice. "Um…in private?"

Her tone made him frown ever so slightly, as he glanced at her over his glasses, with a quick nod in agreement. Turning to Catherine, he said, "I'll meet you at the car." He headed toward his office, Sara behind him.

"Why are you grounding me again?" she questioned when they were in his office, failing to notice that she hadn't shut the door securely behind her.

"I'm not grounding you, Sara…" he began to explain. "But the case is due in court…"

"It's a slam dunk, Gil!" she shook her head, as her suspicions grew. "This is because I'm pregnant, isn't it? That's why you're not putting me out in the field."

He frowned as puzzlement marked his expression.

"No…" he drawled, and Sara knew he was lying.

She stepped closer to him. "Gil, I'm pregnant – not ill. I can still do my job. I _want_ to do my job."

"Sara…" he began, before Sara cut him off.

"I know you're worried, but I know the risks. I'll take the necessary precautions; you don't need to wrap me – _us_ – in cotton wool."

Grissom sighed and looked down at his desk. It was a minute before he looked up to face her again.

"I'm not trying to, and I'm sorry if you feel that way. I'm just being cautious…. but the paperwork and follow up still need to be done."

It was then that Grissom saw the silhouette by the door and a moment of panic swept over him. How long had someone been standing there and how much had they heard? They wouldn't be able to hide the pregnancy – or their relationship – for much longer, he knew. But this was not the way he wanted their colleagues to find out. Grissom wanted the revelation to be on his terms and not someone else's.

He quickly crossed over to the half-open door, and quickly pulled it open. His heart seemed to stop as Ecklie stood framed in the doorway, momentarily startled at being discovered.

"It would seem that you both have some explaining to do," Ecklie stated, quickly recovering from his own surprise, at the same time making it clear that he had overhead at least some of their conversation, and stepped uninvited into the office.

Grissom shared a look with Sara. She looked nervous. Of all the people that had to find out, it had to be Ecklie. This wasn't how they had envisioned breaking the news.

"If you were outside the door, then you have some idea of what we were talking about," stated Sara, abruptly.

Grissom shot her a warning look. Antagonising Ecklie wouldn't do either of them any favours.

Ecklie smirked. "I take it congratulations are in order. Who's the lucky guy?"

This was _not_ good, Grissom thought. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen.

Sara looked at Grissom, both realising that despite their plans, fate had other ideas. Grissom closed his eyes, and bowed his head as he leaned against his desk. Sara crossed over and perched on the desk next to him, intending to see this through together. It wasn't just Grissom's neck on the line.

Grissom understood that there was no way they could get out of this. The truth would have to come out sometime. If it had to be now, then so be it.

With a heavy sigh, he raised his head and looked Conrad squarely in the eyes.

"I am," he said quietly.

Stunned, Conrad could only stare at the two of them. He certainly hadn't been excepting _that_! Completely thrown, unconvinced that he'd heard correctly, he stammered, "Did- did you say that _you're_ the father?"

Grissom nodded, without elaborating any further.

"So when did this relationship start?"

"We've always had a relationship," Sara stated, looking Ecklie straight in the eye, challengingly.

Ecklie sighed and tried again. "So when did you two get involved?"

"That's none of your business," stated Grissom.

"It is when you're in direct violation of Lab Policy!"

"Screw Policy!" retorted Sara. "We've done nothing wrong."

"Sara," Grissom warned.

"When I said that she was a loose cannon and all yours, Gil, I didn't mean it literally." Ecklie said. He ran a hand over his bald spot. "Its in my purview as Lab Director to investigate this. As of now you're both suspended on full pay."

"And then what?" Sara wanted to know. "Fire us? Your _investigation_ won't find anything because there's nothing to find. No one knows about us."

"Of course they don't," Ecklie replied in a disbelieving tone, rolling his eyes. "They'd say anything to cover your backs."

"They don't have to," Sara snapped, as she glared at Ecklie. "The only reason you're doing this is to get one over on Gil, again. It didn't work when you split up the team and it won't work now. I stand by what I said before. The only reason this is your lab is because he doesn't kiss ass."

Angrily, Sara rose to her feet, intending to leave Grissom's office.

"Before you go, Sidle," Ecklie half turned as she walked past him. "I need your weapon and I.D."

Sara unclipped the holster from her jeans, at the same time, reaching into her back pocket for her ID. Instead of handing them to Ecklie she tossed them on the chair in front of the desk.

"I'll need yours too, Gil," Ecklie informed him turning back to face Grissom.

Grissom rose from his spot on the corner of his desk as he unlocked his top drawer, where he kept the automatic. Although he was an excellent marksman, he chose not to carry his weapon.

"You'll be escorted off the property, " Ecklie informed them, as Grissom handed his weapon and I.D over to Ecklie.

"Is that really necessary?" asked Grissom, just as Catherine poked her head around the door.

"What's…oh," she began.

By the tension in the air, Catherine knew immediately that she'd walked into something.

Ecklie gathered up the two firearms and badges as he turned to face Catherine.

"Catherine, since you're here, as of now, I'm placing you in charge of grave shift, following the suspension of Supervisor Grissom and CSI Sidle," he said. "Effective immediately."

" _What?!_ " Catherine was shocked. " _Why?_ What's going on?"

"Just look after the Team until I get back," answered Grissom, before Ecklie could reply. "I'll explain everything when I can."


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks once again to piccolina 789 for the beta'ring. As always it is very much appreciated, and for the reviews._

* * *

Curiosity burned through Catherine as she waited in Ecklie' s office for his return. What reason could he possibly have to suspend them both?

Since the team had been reunited after Nick's terrifying kidnapping, Catherine had hoped that things between Ecklie and Grissom had started to ease – at least Ecklie hadn't been as openly hostile. As if he'd finally realised that Grissom wasn't going to be a rival in the promotional race. Ecklie had shown that he and Grissom _could_ work together – so what had changed now?

Ecklie returned to his office, and closed the door behind him.

"Was it really necessary to escort them from the building, Conrad?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she railroaded him the second he returned. "What on earth have they done?"

He eyed her suspiciously as he sat behind his desk, straightening his tie as he settled back into his chair.

"It was necessary. They're in direct violation of Lab Policy and now on top of everything else, I have to investigate into their professional conduct."

He leaned further back into his chair, watching her closely.

"Just how long have you known about Grissom and Sara being in a relationship?" he asked, getting right down to the bare bones of the matter.

Catherine stared at him, her mouth dropping in complete shock.

" _What_?" she gasped. "They're in a relationship?"

Ecklie shook his head.

"Come on Catherine, you really expect me to believe that you knew nothing about this?" he asked in disbelief. "I find that hard to believe."

Catherine could only shake her head with a shocked look stuck on her face. Grissom and Sara…together?

"I didn't," Catherine insisted. "This is the first I've heard about it."

Ecklie straightened up, leaning over his desk, as he continued to watch Catherine.

"You really didn't know?" he asked, finally starting to believe her.

She shook her head.

"They keep things between themselves, and if this is the result of them coming clean then no wonder they didn't tell anyone. Wait a minute." Catherine paused as something clicked into place. "If they've told you, then it must be pretty serious between them."

Ecklie chose not to reveal that he'd overheard their conversation rather than being told.

"Serious enough, since Sara's pregnant," he said off-handedly, before realising his mistake at Catherine's genuinely shocked look.

"She's _pregnant?_ " Catherine sat down in the chair across from the desk, as the strength went out of her legs. She couldn't quite get her head around the news.

Ecklie shook his head.

"I shouldn't have said that," he acknowledged, tapping his pen on the desk. "What I need to establish now is if anyone knew about the relationship and if any disciplinary action should be taken."

Catherine physically pulled herself together, giving Ecklie a death stare.

"If you're doing what I think you're doing, Conrad, you'll find no evidence that they acted inappropriately," Catherine stated matter-of-factly. "No one knew they were together. And quite frankly it's no one's business but theirs. And if you're thinking of firing them, you're making a big mistake. They kept things private and professional, surely that counts for something?"

Ecklie put his pen down and he steepled his fingers together as Catherine took a breath from her spirited defence of Grissom.

"I know you and Gil have been friends for a long time Catherine, and you owe him some loyalty, but they're both aware of the consequences of Supervisor/subordinate relationships," he explained. "My hands are tied."

"Only if you want them to be Conrad," she shot back, rising to her feet. "Grissom might be politically tone deaf, but he's damn good at what he does. So is Sara. The lab needs him. Loyalty runs both ways; he has our backs and we have his and we respect him. Go ahead and throw him to the wolves, I'm sure firing a couple that have just announced they're expecting a baby, will do wonders for your career."

She stormed towards the office door before she paused, her hand on the door handle as she turned to face Conrad again.

"Find some way around this," she demanded before disappearing out the door.

* * *

Sara looked over at Grissom who was out on the veranda with his arms folded on the railing and his head bowed, with growing concern. He'd been out there since their return from the lab over an hour before.

He'd been silent on the drive back, his knuckles white on the steering wheel and his lips so thin they were almost a slash on his bearded face. From the tense set of his shoulders, Sara knew it was better to leave him to his brooding. Attempting to talk to him would be an exercise in futility, and he'd only withdraw even more.

From his bearing she decided that it would be better to leave him to his thoughts for a while longer. Turning away from the veranda with a sigh, she headed towards the kitchenette, and set about making herbal tea.

Outside, Grissom puffed out an agitated breath as he watched the lights flicker and twinkle in the distance. He'd been out here for over an hour and he'd been grateful that Sara had left him alone with his thoughts. And he had plenty to think about.

He frowned as the scene with Ecklie played over and over again in his mind. He knew there would have been some kind of fall out to his relationship with Sara, but strangely enough,he hadn't ever thought that suspension could have been one of them.

He exhaled noisily through his nose. They'd been so careful up until that point…and it had all come crashing down on one overheard conversation.

Maybe if things had worked out as they'd planned, none of this would be happening. If only they'd made sure the office door was secure before talking so candidly…but then a private discussion should have been just that. If Sara hadn't insisted that they talk right then and there…that thought brought him up with a start

 _None_ of this was Sara's fault. They were both responsible for the baby she now carried, and no amount of _what ifs_ would change that.

Of course the pregnancy was bound to complicate things, but perhaps he'd been a little naïve in not realising just how drastic an impact it would make on their lives. He'd said they were in this together and he'd meant it. They'd both grown up without a father in their lives, and he wasn't about to let the same thing happen to his child, even if the situation had been thrust on him unexpectedly.

He closed his eyes as he lowered his head with a heavily sigh. After a few moments, he looked up again, staring at the sky as a memory surfaced.

" _Pin me down."_

 _After a brief pause Grissom had stepped forward, grabbing her wrists and raising her arms. She had struggled and then stopped, talking through the case as they stared into each other's eyes._

 _Grissom had raised his head and he could smell a hint of peach. It was sweet and warm… and for the briefest of moments the lab, the bloody sheet behind her, everything ceased to exist. There was only they two of them. If he chose to, he could have closed the gap between them. He was close enough to kiss her if really wanted to…he wondered if she'd taste of peach…_

He closed his eyes, and blew out a breath. Although he could never express it adequately enough to her, he was hopelessly madly in love with her, and the last sixteen months had been the happiest months of his life. No one else could make him feel like Sara did.

Sara stepped out on the veranda just as he bowed his head again, as she approached him silently. Standing next to him, she rubbed his broad shoulders feeling the tension in his bearing start to relax. She felt reassured when he reached for her hand that was resting on the railing, as he half turned to face her.

"I know this situation isn't ideal, Gil," Sara began, breaking the silence. "Ecklie feels he has a point to prove, but we both know that his investigation isn't going to find anything."

Grissom turned to face the darkness again.

"There's still the small matter, however we look at this, I'm still your boss," he replied, with a quirk of his right eyebrow.

Sara leaned closer to him, her hand reaching out to caress his cheek, the bristles of his beard tickling her palm.

"And we both know you've always been more than a boss to me," she responded with a smirk.

He turned to face her with a smirk of his own, and she took the opportunity to gently brush her lips against his.

"We can get through this," she said, as she drew back, leaning her head against his shoulder, as she gazed out into the night.

He shifted his weight to accommodate her, and moved his arm to wrap around her, drawing her closer to him. He kissed her head as they both looked out into the darkness and what was at the moment an uncertain future.

Grissom hoped that Sara was right; that once Ecklie had left off enough steam, they could all move forward.

He sighed, hugging Sara a little closer to him. It was going to be a long couple of weeks.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N Once again then you so much for the wonderful reviews. They are a confidence boost to my very novice writing, especially for CSI. Many thanks as always also to my beta Piccolina789. I really couldn't do this without you._

* * *

Leaving Ecklie's office, Catherine wandered the corridors of the lab, trying to puzzle out exactly when Grissom and Sara had started their relationship.

As she thought back, she still couldn't seem to pinpoint exactly when things changed between them. There certainly hadn't been any overt sign that anything was going on.

 _So much for being a trained Investigator_ Catherine thought to herself, as she found herself outside the break room. She poured herself a coffee, still pondering the turn of events. Although she was a little hurt that they hadn't confided in her, she was genuinely pleased that they'd finally taken that step.

"Hey Cath," Warwick's voice broke into her reverie. "Have you seen Grissom? I just went by his office and he's not there."

Catherine looked up from her coffee still clearly distracted. The look of worry on her face made Warrick to move over to her, looking slightly worried himself.

"Is everything ok?" he asked, concerned for his friend. "Is it Lindsey?"

Catherine shook her head.

"No, Lindsey's fine," she assured him, grateful for his concern all the same. She hesitated before adding, "Ecklie has suspended Grissom and Sara, and put me in charge of Grave."

Warwick's eyes widened, in shock.

" _Suspended?_ Why?"

"They told him they're together, and until he's concluded an investigation, they're suspended," Catherine explained.

"Well he'll have a job;" stated Warrick, not surprised by the news his boss and co-worker were together. "We've probably all _suspected_ there was somethin' going on at one time or another, but never anything for certain. Is there anything we can do to help Griss and Sara?"

"Just tell Ecklie the truth when he questions you. I just can't believe that Ecklie would go so far, especially as Sara's pregnant."

Catherine's eyes widened as she raised a hand to cover her mouth. She really hadn't intended to let that slip, and she felt awful.

Warrick whistled, his eyes widening.

"Man!" he whispered, surprised by the revelation. "And Ecklie's suspended them?" he questioned, in disbelief. "He's all heart."

Warrick glanced at Catherine.

"Surely there must be somethin we can do? I mean if they're havin a kid the last thing they wanna be worryin about is losing their jobs."

"Hopefully it won't come to that," Catherine agreed, finishing her coffee.

* * *

"What's up Rick?" Nick asked in the locker room several hours later, when shift was over.

Warrick slammed and banged around in his locker, clearly annoyed about something. A few more metallic thuds issued, before he slammed the door shut with more force than necessary, causing the door to swing back open before swinging back slowly and coming to a stop partly closed.

"I'm just worried about Griss," he muttered, shaking his head, forgetting for the moment that Nick knew nothing of what had happened.

"Grissom? Did somethin happen to him?" Nick questioned, worried for his friend and mentor. "Is he Okay?"

Warrick closed his eyes briefly, realising he'd been thinking out loud.

"That's right, you haven't heard…Ecklie's suspend both Grissom and Sara…."

He went on to explain what Catherine had told him, including the revelation of Sara's pregnancy.

Before Nick had chance to process the news, Greg spoke from the doorway, startling them both.

"Are you serious?" he asked, his youthful face registering his shock. "Grissom and Sara are really together and she's having his baby?"

"Sorry Greg," said Nick meaning it. He knew that Greg had had a soft spot for Sara for years. "Ecklie told Catherine. She's acting supervisor until Ecklie's run his little investigation."

Greg's shoulders slumped; clearly devastated by the news that Sara would never be interested in him.

"But Grissom's…" he's voice trailed away into a whisper.

"…always been number one, in Sara's eyes," said Warrick, raising an eyebrow. "What they need now is our support."

Greg stepped further into the locker room and sagged onto the bench, still unable to grasp what he'd overheard. He was silent for a few minutes longer before looking towards his two friends.

"I never stood a chance, did I?" he asked, dejectedly. He felt utterly deflated by the news.

Nick grasped him on the shoulder.

"If its any consolation, I don't think anyone did. But they're still our friends, Greggo. This doesn't change anything."

"Of course," Greg said, with a slight nod. "Its not as if Ecklie's investigation is going to find anything. I mean, it's not like any of us knew anything was going on between them."

While the news had shocked him, Sara was still his friend. And he'd do anything to see her happy. Even if it meant that she was with someone other than him.

As they headed for the car park, discussing that morning's breakfast destination, Catherine caught up with them.

"Hey Cath, we heard about Griss and Sara," said Nick. "We can't just sit by and let Ecklie fire them. There must be something we can do? Maybe call by Grissom's place and let him know we've got his back?"

"We'll tell the truth. Ecklie will discover that himself. I'll go to Grissom's," she continued. "Right now, with everything that's going on, the last thing he'll want is everyone turning up at his place."

* * *

It was clear by Grissom's surprised expression when he answered his door shortly after 6.15 pm, that Catherine was the last person he'd expected to see. He was wearing a blue shirt that matched the colour of his eyes, and dark trousers. At first glance, Catherine had thought she'd perhaps caught him getting ready for a date with Sara, but the tea towel draped over his shoulder, spoiled the illusion.

"I know about you and Sara," Catherine got straight to the point. "And why Ecklie suspended you. Now are you going to invite me in, or are you going stand here and gawp, and ruin whatever is that you got cookin'?"

He opened the door further, before heading over to the kitchenette, where a few pans were simmering away. Whatever he was cooking it smelled delicious.

After shutting the door behind her, she followed Grissom over to the kitchen. Inside, a radio was tuned to a baseball game, the volume turned low. Grissom started to busy himself by chopping mushrooms.

"So, you finally lifted your head up out of that microscope, huh?" stated Catherine, and Grissom could tell from her voice that she was smiling. "It certainly took you long enough."

He raised his head slightly, as he glanced at Catherine then over to the sofa, where Catherine noticed the sleeping form for the first time.

Sara.

"So how's she doing?" Catherine asked, keeping her voice low, so as not to awaken the slumbering form. "Pregnancy can really take a lot out of you, especially in the early weeks."

Grissom paused mid-way through chopping mushrooms, and glanced at Catherine over his glasses.

"Ecklie told you?" he questioned anger edging his voice.

"He let it slip, when I asked what was going on," she admitted. "And I told him exactly what I thought. We all know his investigation won't find anything. That's why I came by, to let you know that the team is right behind you both. We're a family, Gil, and we have your backs. I just don't understand why you couldn't tell us. We think its great you and Sara are together."

Grissom turned his attention back to the mushrooms, chopping so furiously that Catherine reached out and stilled his hands, fearing he'd chop off his fingertips in his anger.

"We didn't tell you, because we didn't want anyone to know," he said, placing the knife down. "Who else knows about the baby?"

"Ahh," sighed Catherine making Grissom look up.

"You told everyone," he stated his lips thinning. "Did you ever stop and think, that maybe Sara and I might want to make that announcement?"

His voice rose, as did his anger.

"This is precisely why we never mentioned anything – so it wouldn't get back to Ecklie, and become the talk of the lab!"

"First of all, with the exception of Ecklie only the team know, not the entire lab," Catherine attempted to soothe him. "And secondly, if you can't trust your team, then who can you trust? Once you're both back at the lab, and you will be, it'll become obvious soon enough and everyone's going to know."

"The choice to tell everyone, should have been left to us," Sara's voice cut in, as she wandered over to the counter. Their raised voices had woke her up. She looked pale and despite the nap she'd just had, exhausted.

"I'm really sorry," Catherine said sincerely. "It just slipped out, and I feel really awful. I was pissed that Ecklie would stoop so low, when you've just come clean about everything. He's an ass."

Catherine's gaze travelled over Sara from head to foot. She attempted to smile, as she changed the subject.

"Guess those antacids, didn't work?"

Sara smirked and shook her head.

"I guess not," she said quietly, as a wave of nausea washed over her. Whatever Grissom was cooking was make her queasy.

"Morning sickness one of the unfortunate side effects of pregnancy," Catherine noted as Sara's face paled even more. "When I was pregnant with Lindsey…"

Sara had only been half listening to Catherine, focusing on keeping at least a semblance of control on the churning in her stomach. Understanding that this time was a battle she had no hope of winning, Sara hurried up the stairs with a muffled "Excuse me!"

Grissom watched her as went up the stairs, one hand clamped over her mouth, the other protectively over her stomach. Every nerve in his body wanted to follow after her, but his feet didn't seem to remember how to move. He felt a sudden inexplicable pang of guilt stab at his stomach, at her discomfort.

"Get her to try ginger or dry crackers and toast," Catherine said helpfully, as she turned back to Grissom. Somehow, sensing his need to help Sara, she smiled.

"I'd better get going. Remember what I said about the ginger."

She hugged him then, making Grissom uncomfortable, though he endured it anyway.

"I know it's asking a lot, but try not to worry about Ecklie. You'll be back before you know it."


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N. I_ loved _writing this chapter, and I had so much fun writing it. piccolina789 did an_ outstanding _beta on this I thought. Im currently working on the next chapter, but I'm not sure when it will be ready to post, so I apologise in advance. It's my daughter's birthday on Friday, and then we are going away for the weekend as part of her birthday treats. Again, many thanks for the amazing reviews - especially Torcan and Nancy1 - they inspire me to try and make the next chapter better the last. I hope you love this chapter as much as I do._

* * *

Ecklie sighed heavily as he went over the report for what seemed like the one hundredth time. In the week and a half since his investigation into Grissom and Sara's professional conduct, he had yet to find one shred of evidence that they had acted inappropriately while at work.

If he'd learned anything at all, it was that everyone on the grave shift regarded Grissom with a high level of respect. That was something Ecklie had never quite been able to achieve as day shift supervisor.

He shuffled the papers of his report and let his eyes drift to the statement on top of the pile. It was Nick's.

As with all the others, Nick had made it clear that he never suspected that anything inappropriate was going on. He sighed again, running a hand through what hair remained, recalling Catherine's warning that his investigation wouldn't find anything. He'd have done well to listen to her.

Since there was clearly no evidence to be found, he saw little point in continuing the investigation. He leaned back in his chair as he considered what his next move would be.

It was no secret that he wasn't the biggest fan of Gil Grissom. On the very rare occasions he'd managed to get one over on him, he'd relished every second of it.

But that didn't change the fact that Grissom was highly regarded and respected in his field and his reputation had helped elevate the Las Vegas Crime Lab. His decision now would directly affect both Grissom and Sara's private and professional lives, as well as the lab's reputation. It was a heavy burden to bear.

Making his decision at last, Ecklie reached for the phone.

* * *

Sara stirred her food around the plate aimlessly. Her appetite was almost non-existent. She puffed out her cheeks, feeling the familiar wave of nausea twist in her stomach. In the week-and-a-half since learning of the pregnancy, today was easily becoming the worst she'd felt.

It certainly wasn't helping that they'd arranged to visit Grissom's mother, with the intention of telling her their news. Grissom had wanted to postpone the trip, but she'd insisted on going ahead, knowing that he'd been looking forward to seeing his mother.

Betty Grissom placed her hand on Sara's arm to gain her attention. When Sara looked up to face her, Betty smiled sadly.

" _If you can't eat it, its fine dear,"_ she signed. " _I can see that you're a little under the weather, and I won't be offended if you're not very hungry."_

Sara's smile was wan, as she nodded her head in understanding.

" _I am feeling a little off,"_ she signed back, before quickly looking in Grissom's direction across the table from her, who was watching the exchange between them. " _I'm sorry that I wasn't able to enjoy such a lovely meal."_

Betty shook her head, decisively.

" _Nonsense dear. If you're not feeling well, it's understandable. Perhaps the next time you and Gilbert visit, you'll be feeling much better."_

Sara nodded, as she smiled weakly.

" _I'm sure that I'll feel much better by then. I'm sorry that we've had to leave it so long between visits this time. I think after I've had a little air, I'll be fine."_

Rising to her feet she walked past Grissom, who put down his knife and fork and grasped her hand as she walked by.

"You're sure you're going be ok?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern as he looked up at her, his thumb rubbing the back of her hand.

Sara nodded, squeezing his shoulder, reassuringly.

"Stop worrying, I'll be fine," she promised him.

"Maybe we should cut the visit short…" he began to suggest, but Sara shook her head.

"Baby, there's no need," she assured him with a small smile. "I'll be okay, after some air."

She kissed his forehead briefly as she left. Grissom still looked doubtful, watching her leave the kitchen and head outside into the garden.

Betty waited until Sara was out of sight before she caught Grissom's attention.

" _You look troubled, Gilbert,"_ she signed, her face filled with concern for her son. " _Is everything alright between you and Sara? She seems a little sad."_

Grissom sighed, chewing his lip as he glanced down at his plate, before pushing it away.

" _We're doing fine, Mom,_ " he signed, with a smile of reassurance. " _We…had some news, and it's taken a little time to get used to."_

After a brief pause, he continued " _On top of that, Sara and I have been suspended from the lab, because of our personal relationship."_

" _Being in a relationship is hardly a crime, Gilbert. How long are you suspended for?"_

" _It's more complicated than that. I'm Sara's boss. We've willingly violated lab policy. Until the investigation into our misconduct is over, we won't know for sure."_

Together, they cleared away the dirty dishes, with Grissom washing up and Betty drying. Watching him from the corner of her eye, she could sense that he had more to tell. Even as a child, she'd been able to read him like a book.

When the dishes were finished and they took a seat in the living room, she broached the subject again.

" _Something is still bothering you, Gilbert."_

With a sigh, Grissom nodded at his mother's astuteness. He had never been able to hide anything from her.

" _There is something else,"_ he admitted. Deciding on getting straight to the point and the reason behind their visit, he signed. " _Sara is pregnant."_

Betty took a moment to let the news sink in.

" _I am surprised, Gilbert. I've given up hope of ever having grandchildren. Whenever I brought the subject up, you always said you didn't want children."_

" _They were never a top priority, no,"_ he agreed. " _But with Sara, it's different."_

" _You're happy about this?"_

Without hesitation, Grissom signed, " _Yes. It's taken some getting used to,"_ he admitted. " _It was an unexpected surprise, but we're both happy about the baby."_

Betty paused, taking in what Grissom had said. She loved Sara as a daughter and knew that she truly loved her son. From the moment she'd first learned the name of Sara Sidle, something deep within her told her that Sara was different from the other women that had all too infrequently captured her son's heart. And when they had finally met for the first time, she had known it with certainty.

Deep down, she knew what the answer to the question she was about to ask him would be. But she wanted to be sure that he believed it too, beyond any doubt.

" _Do you think that Sara may have deliberately gotten pregnant to trap you?"_

Immediately he shook his head, frowning.

" _No,"_ he responded, and Betty could tell he was angry at the thought. " _I trust her with my life. She has no reason to deceive me. I thought you liked her? It upsets me to think that you would think she'd do something like that."_

" _I do like her, Gilbert,"_ Betty signed back. " _I love her like a daughter. I know she wouldn't deceive you. I just needed to be sure. You're my son Gilbert, and I just want you to be happy."_

" _I am happy,"_ was his quick response. " _I couldn't be any happier."_

After a little while longer, Sara came in from the garden to join them. She looked marginally better, but her face was still pale.

After brief exchanges as to how she was feeling, it was mutually decided to end the visit.

As they exchanged their goodbyes, Betty asked for a private word with Sara. Although curious, Grissom didn't push the matter and after kissing his mother's cheek and a brief glance at Sara, left to wait by the car.

" _You needn't look so worried,"_ Betty signed to Sara once they alone.

Suddenly she hugged Sara tightly to her. When Betty released her, her face aglow with happiness, she signed a simple " _Thank you."_

" _I don't understand,"_ Sara signed back. " _Why are you thanking me?"_

" _For many things, Sara. But most of all for loving my son. When he told me about that baby, I couldn't been any happier. I'd almost given up hope of ever becoming a grandmother."_

Betty gave Sara one more hug goodbye and then watched by the window as Sara met Grissom by the car. From the expression on his face, Betty could tell he was both worried and curious as to why she'd wanted to chat privately with Sara.

As she continued to watch, Sara stood on tiptoe and kissed him full on the mouth, her hands resting on the back of his neck. As he leaned into the kiss, his hands came to rest on her hips, pulling her close.

* * *

Later that night, Grissom sat on the edge of the bed he shared with Sara, placing the tray on the bedside table. Sara, her face ashen, was curled up on his side of the bed, hugging his pillow.

"You've hardly eaten anything all day," Grissom said sounding worried. "That can't be good for you and the baby. Are you sure won't try some soup?"

"I really couldn't," she apologised, her eyes closing briefly. Along with the nausea, she was starting to feel tired. The drive back from Betty's two hours before had taken what remaining strength she had.

Grissom watched her as she snuggled deeper into his pillow, inhaling in his scent. His stomach clenched, wishing there was something he could do to ease her discomfort. His only consolation, was the thought that once she reached the second trimester, her symptoms would lessen.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, reaching to brush her hair with his fingers, his thumb caressing her cheek.

"For what?" she asked, her expression puzzled.

He shrugged, pursing his lips.

"For getting you in this condition."

Despite how awful she was feeling, Sara laughed lightly. With a weak smile she reached out to him, cupping the side of his head. With a happy sigh she said, "I loveyou _,_ Gilbert Grissom. But you can't take all the credit, for this. I helped a little too."

His eyes twinkled, a smirk on his face as he leaned forward and kissed her softly. Her hands snaked around his neck, pulling him closer and his eyes closed as the kiss deepened.

She moaned softly as heat began to build, and he drew back, breaking the kiss before things got too heated. She pouted.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me?" he asked, his breathing slightly uneven, his eyes darkened by desire.

Sara nodded, reaching for him again.

"I do. Because you do the same to me."

Needing no encouragement, he captured her lips with his again, just as his phone rang.

With difficulty he broke the kiss, glaring at the interruption and ready to throw the blasted phone against the wall.

That's when realised the name on the I.D display read "Ecklie."


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N Back from my amazing weekend away with my 9 yr old daughter -she is definitely an adrenaline junkie, considering the types of roller coasters she was going on. Definately_ not _the little kid types. As always, many thanks for the reviews and and to_ piccolina789 _for the beta._

* * *

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and Sara moved restlessly in the bed. She stilled a moment before turning onto her side, facing the window of the bedroom. The continuous flashes of lightning were bright enough to penetrate her sleep.

Grissom's side of the bed was empty. She turned over to glance at the clock. _2.16_ _am_.

Another flash of lightning illuminated the bedroom briefly, followed a second later by another boom of thunder.

A sense of uneasiness clenched in the pit of her stomach. Since Ecklie's phone call, Grissom had been withdrawn and distant, saying only that Ecklie wanted to see them at the lab at 11.30 am the next day.

 _Today_ , she mentally corrected. _Today could be the last day of our careers._

Lightning flashed again, but there was no sign of any rain, at least not yet.

Climbing out of bed, she shrugged into her dressing grown, thinking that perhaps he was in the living room.

The downstairs of their townhouse was cloaked in darkness and it bore no sign of him. The feeling of unease grew, before she realised he was outside on the veranda. He was wearing only his t-shirt and boxers. His feet were bare.

His arms were taut as he gripped the railing. His head bowed, unmindful of the storm that was brewing in the distance.

She gathered the fabric of her dressing gown closer, as she moved toward the veranda.

"Gil?" she called his name softly, wanting to make her presence known. He didn't give any indication that he'd heard her.

When she came up beside him, his knuckles were white from gripping the railing so tightly. Still he didn't acknowledge her presence, or show any signs if he was really aware she was there.

"Gil, come back to bed," she coaxed gently. "It's going to storm any minute and you're gong to get soaked."

Still no response.

Tentatively she reached out and rubbed his broad shoulders. She could feel the tension in the taut muscles of his arms, as a tremor rippled through him like a current.

She knew, that this time leaving him alone with his thoughts was not what he needed.

She gathered him in an embrace, his body stiff and unyielding. She stroked the hair on the back of his head, and then gently rocked them both back and forth, soothingly.

The thunder that rumbled sounded closer now, and forked lightning split the sky, in constant, bright flashes.

The rain was closer now too, she could smell it; like damp autumn leaves.

It had been ten minutes since she'd embraced him, and still he was unyielding against her, but she didn't release him.

Suddenly, she had the unshakeable fear that she was losing him. Even the knowledge of the baby wouldn't be powerful enough to make him stay. They'd both risked so much – he more than her – to be together.

Now their entire future hung on Conrad's decision.

It would break them - break him – if Ecklie decided to fire them. She'd tried to tell herself, and Grissom, that Ecklie's investigation would prove nothing. She told him that it would run its course and they'd be reinstated and things would go back to normal…or as normal as could be, now that the team knew about their relationship.

Her heart ached as she held him, wishing she could do more for him to soothe his fears. But how could she do that when she was just as afraid as he was?

"I love you, Gil," she whispered softly in his ear, unable to hide the quiver in her voice, just as a fat drop of rain landed on her hand.

She felt more rain as three more drops struck her bare skin.

Thunder boomed loudly directly overhead followed by another flash of lightning. Sara felt Grissom wrap his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly against him, his head buried in the space between her neck and shoulder.

The heavens opened.

* * *

Grissom pulled into the car park of CSI headquarters, twenty minutes before they were due to meet with Ecklie. He turned off the engine, but made no move to get out of the SUV.

Sara heard him swallow loudly and she turned to face him. The feeling of nervousness gripped them both. Grissom's head was bowed, as he stared down at his lap. His lips were thin and white against his tanned skin, a muscle twitched in his cheek. He sighed, raggedly.

She reached out her hand, grasping his hand that lay on his lap. His other hand was clutching the keys so tightly, the knuckles were white.

He swallowed again, his Adam's apple bobbing as he raised his head and stared at the building in front of them.

He'd risked everything to be with Sara, and now he was facing the cold reality of the consequences.

He'd tried to contemplate a future without Sara and the baby, and he couldn't do it. He loved her, their unborn child and his job – and he wanted all three.

His eyes turned towards Sara, who was watching him with concern. She tried to smile reassuringly, but wasn't quite able to pull it off. She was just as scared as he was.

Her hand was still grasping his, but as he felt her try to pull her hand away, he curled his fingers around hers and squeezed.

"I'm sorry Dr. Grissom, but you and Miss Sidle need to sign the visitor's book," said Officer Mitchell, as they headed automatically through force of habit, in the direction of the lab.

Mitchell looked uncomfortable as he sensed Grissom's humiliation. He retraced his steps, and quickly signed the book, before quickly grabbing a Visitor's badge for both himself and Sara.

Grissom's feeling of humiliation deepened when Mitch then escorted them to Ecklie's office. He'd walked these corridors unimpeded for years. He wondered if this was an indication of what was to come, and if this would be the last time he'd ever enter these familiar walls again.

Ecklie didn't waste any time inviting them into his office.

"Take a seat," he invited as he settled into his chair behind his desk.

Neither Grissom nor Sara took up his offer, so Ecklie got right down to business.

"I don't want to drag this out, anymore than I have to," he began as he leaned back in his chair, looking up at them.

"Do we have a job or not?" asked Sara, pointedly. "That's all we really need to know."

"Sara," Grissom warned. This was bad enough, without winding Ecklie up further. "That is not helping."

Sara turned towards him with her mouth open, ready to argue the point, before remembering how he'd been acting the night before, and again in the SUV. She knew he was on edge, and she thought better of it, closing her mouth without saying a word.

"The new sheriff wants to make an impression and at the same time make an example of you, by firing you both," stated Ecklie. "Despite the results of my investigation…which shows that neither of you acted inappropriately at anytime."

Grissom swallowed, as his stomach lurched and his heart raced.

"So, that's it?" he just barely managed to say.

Straightening up in his chair, Ecklie leaned his elbows on his desk, clasping his hands together.

"There is no evidence that you abused your authority at anytime. None of your cases were compromised and neither was the chain of custody. The only thing you're guilty of, apart from the obvious, is that you continued to do Sara's performance evaluations. Therefore, against the sheriff's judgement, I'm re-instating you both."

Grissom's breath caught in his throat, as he and Sara glanced at each other in stunned surprise. Had they heard him correctly?

Ecklie watched them, with a bemused expression on his face.

"There will be a few changes however," he said.

"Are you going to split up the team again?" Sara asked, still trying to comprehend the fact that they were both keeping their jobs.

Ecklie shook his head, remembering what had happened last time he'd split up the team.

"No. You'll both stay on grave shift and Gil will stay on as supervisor. However, from now on, Catherine will do Sara's performance evaluations."

Ecklie directed his attention solely on Grissom.

"There's one more thing, Gil. As an official reprimand you'll receive a pay cut for a minimum of three months."

He reached into the top drawer of his desk and drew out their weapons and I.D badges, and handed them to their respective owners.

* * *

Grissom leaned against the SUV, still not able to believe what had just happened.

It didn't matter that he'd have reduced pay for the next three months – for him it had never been about the money. An hour ago he had faced losing everything.. it was a small price to pay.

Hw shook his head as he glanced over his shoulder at the lab. Had what just happened _really_ happened?

Suddenly, his legs left like rubber as the anxiety and stress of the last week and a half drained from his body. He began to shake as the relief overwhelmed him.

If it hadn't been for Sara standing next to him, he'd have slid down the side of the SUV. Luckily, from where they were standing, the vehicle hid them from any prying eyes.

"Gil, are you okay?" Sara asked in alarm, as she attempted to prop him up against the car.

He hung his head as he bent over, his hands resting on his knees, his breathing coming in quick gasps.

"Just need…a minute, honey," he gasped in between gasps of air.

Sara rested her hand on his shoulder supportively, as she bent down slightly and watched him carefully, wondering if she should go back to the lab and get some help.

But even as the thought crossed her mind, Grissom's breathing slowed, and returned to normal.

He hunched down, resting his head against the car, his eyes closed as he blew out a breath of relief.

Sara hunched down next to him, resting her hand on his knee. The car keys dangled limply from his fingers.

"Okay now?" she asked, moving her hand from his knee to brush his cheek.

He nodded.

Slowly, he rose to his feet still feeling shaky, but otherwise okay.

Sara leaned in, kissing his cheek lightly, as she grabbed the keys from him. Her stomach rumbled as her appetite returned.

"Let's grab a celebratory lunch," she suggested, rattling the keys. "I'm driving."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N _Thanks for your patience between chapters. many thanks as always to piccolina789 for the great beta and also to my reviewers. You are always very much appreciated. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be ready, but i hope you continue to enjoy the journey._

* * *

Sara watched Grissom, with a bemused expression on her face as he fed the tarantula a few live crickets.

They'd headed to the lab a good two hours before the start of their first shift back to work, stopping off on the way to get the crickets.

She'd noticed Grissom glancing surreptitiously around him as they made their way to his office, both aware that their absence wouldn't have gone unnoticed. Rumours would have soon followed, thanks to Ecklie's investigation. It was with a sense of relieve that no one seemed to be watching them.

The blinds were drawn when they entered Grissom's office and Sara almost laughed at the horrified expression that crossed his face as he saw the amount of paperwork and mail left messily on his desk.

With a heavy sigh and a shake of his head, he reminded himself that twenty-four hours ago, he'd faced the prospect of never setting foot in this office again. A few hours of paperwork wasn't going to hurt – when he eventually got around to it that was.

Sara did her best to help, arranging the clutter into workable piles. He could really have used a good system, but Sara knew that was unlikely to happen. He loathed paperwork and if he could avoid it, he would for as long as possible.

When she was finished, she perched on the corner of his desk, watching him clear out the small fridge where he kept his experiments. Most of them were useless now after almost two weeks of neglect.

Finally he rose to his feet, and crossed over to where Sara was perched on his desk. As he leaned over to put his automatic in the top drawer his hand brushed against her bare arm lightly, sending ripples through her body. She inhaled sharply. His touch was enough to reignite the passion they had quelled an hour and a half before.

"Are you okay?" he asked, watching her as he stepped into the small gap between her feet.

With a hum, she nodded and ran her hands up his shirtfront, leaning forward slightly and kissing the corner of his mouth.

Grissom's eyes darted to the closed office door, recalling only too vividly the last time they hadn't been so cautious. Sara drew back, her hands playing with his hair behind his ear.

"It's locked," she assured him as his gaze returned to hers, his eyes mirroring the rising desire he saw reflected in her eyes.

He leaned in a little more, raising his hand to caress her cheek with his thumb before giving her a slow and lingering kiss.

She responded immediately to his touch, unable to hide how much he excited her. When she felt well enough to make love, the pregnancy had only increased the sensations he invoked.

She moaned against his lips, her hands buried in his hair.

Grissom broke the kiss, before things got to the point of no return. As much as he wanted to make love to her again, he loved and respected her far too much to do so in his office. She deserved far better than that.

"I love you," he said suddenly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I know I don't say it often enough…"

She silenced him with a kiss.

"I love you too, baby," she said, stroking his hair. "I don't need to hear it often, to know you love me. It's there, in the little things that you do."

* * *

"Any news on how Griss and Sara are?" asked Nick as Catherine walked into the break room, followed by Warrick and Greg, ten minutes before the start of shift.

He glanced at the two chairs they often chose, and felt the familiar anger at Ecklie's treatment of them resurface. He felt he should have done more for them, than just make a statement.

Catherine helped herself to some coffee.

"Nothing so far," she replied, before taking a sip of the beverage. "I was thinking of stopping by their place later, to keep them updated. Is there anything you want me to pass on?"

"Yeah," said Nick, his Texan drawl more pronounced in his anger. "Ecklie's investigation is nothing more than political BS. If I could do more for Griss, I would."

Catherine smiled over her mug.

"He knows that, Nicky. We all do. We just have to bide our time, and hope Ecklie sees reason, and reinstates them both."

Nick shook his head in disgust, knowing the others felt exactly the same. The lab just hadn't been the same without Grissom and Sara.

The small talk continued around Nick as Catherine moved over to take a seat by Greg and Warrick. Nick tuned out the conversation, allowing himself to get lost in his thoughts until he felt the sharp dig in his ribs from Warrick. Nick looked up as the break room grew quiet.

Grissom and Sara stood framed in the doorway, an air of nervousness surrounding them as they faced their colleagues for the first time since their relationship had been revealed.

They looked good.

Grissom had lost a little weight since they'd last seen him, but he looked good for it.

Sara hadn't changed that much, although there seemed to be a glow around her that hadn't been there before. The t-shirt she was wearing emphasised the slight roundness of her stomach that also hadn't been there before. It was the first indication of the baby she now carried. Her slim figure made it all the more noticeable.

Despite their nervousness, they looked happy. They stood slightly apart, but it was now painfully obvious they were a couple, and had been for some time.

An aura seemed to surround them, and Nick wondered why none of them had never noticed before.

Nick couldn't hide the delighted grin that formed on his face, which was also mirrored on everyone else's faces.

Nick pushed back from his chair, rose to his feet and swept Sara into a massive hug.

"When did Ecklie reinstate you?" he asked, as he glanced at Grissom, still embracing Sara.

"Yesterday morning," answered Grissom, watching as the team took turns in hugging Sara in welcome.

"It's great to see you both back," said Nick. "The lab's not been the same without you. Ecklie had no reason to suspend you…"

Grissom shook his head.

"Nicky, he had every reason," he replied quietly and everyone became quiet as he talked. "It means a lot to Sara and I, to have your support, especially as we kept this from all of you."

It wasn't often he spoke so openly, but he wanted them to know that he appreciated what all of them had done for himself and Sara.

"It's also true that Sara is pregnant," Grissom continued. He glanced at Catherine as he continued, who dipped her head in acknowledgement, a smile on her face. "Although Catherine did let the cat out of the bag a little prematurely."

"I'll organise the baby shower to make up for it," Catherine promised.

"Oh no! No!" said Sara, refusing outright, shaking her head as colour flushed her cheeks at being the centre of attention. "No baby shower!"

"A baby shower would be great, for Cricket," said Nick, thinking out loud.

" _Cricket?"_ asked Sara and Grissom in unison.

Nick grinned mischievously.

"Sure, " he said with shrug. "Why not, since Grissom's into bugs?"

He paused for a second as another thought came to him, and his grin widened.

"The Love Bugs and Cricket."

Grissom shook his head in mock disbelief. He'd missed the camaraderie of the grave shift, more than he'd realised.

"Maybe you should focus on some work, instead of nicknames, Nicky," suggested Grissom, after allowing the good-natured ribbing to continue for a few minutes longer.

"Sure thing, Boss," said Nick growing serious, as Grissom handed him his assignment.

"Take Warrick with you," Grissom added.

"It's really good to have you back, Grissom," Warrick said, with a nod of the head.

Grissom nodded slightly in acknowledgement, as he watched them head towards the car park.

He handed Catherine her assignment, before handing the last one out to Greg and Sara.

Catherine fiddled with her coffee, delaying her departure, as Grissom watched Greg and Sara walk out the door, arguing about who would drive.

"It really is good to have you back, Gil," said Catherine with a smile as Grissom turned back to face her. "I still can't quite picture you with the suburban house, with a white picket fence and two-point-four children."

Grissom shrugged non-committedely.

"Neither did I," he admitted, pursing his lips. "Until now."

* * *

"So, do you think you and Grissom will get married?" Greg asked, breaking the silence as Sara drove them to their crime scene.

Sara concentrated on driving.

"It's never come up," she said, after giving it some thought. "We're happy as we are."

"But with a baby…"

"That's not a reason to get married, Greg," Sara responded. "You don't have to be married to have kids together."

"You just don't like weddings," Greg teased.

Sara shook her head.

"No, I just don't think you have to follow tradition, just because you have kids."

Greg grinned. "So if Grissom did ask you to marry him, you'd turn him down?"

Sara shook her head, a smirk on her face.

"I didn't say that either."

She turned to face him.

"He's never asked," she said deciding to leave it at that.

She could feel Greg's eyes on her.

"You love him right?"

"Yeah, I do," she said without any hesitation.

* * *

At the end of shift, Grissom signed the last report with a sigh, managing to surprise himself by getting through all the paperwork that had accumulated over the last two weeks.

Sara had texted him earlier that night that the guys and Catherine wanted to treat them to breakfast at IHOP, so Grissom quickly filed away the last of the reports.

As he was leaving the office, Sara met up with him as she came from the locker room. He could see the traces of weariness starting to creep across her face, which was confirmed seconds later by a stifled yawn.

"All done?" she asked, just managing to resist the urge to link arms with him. "I'm in the mood for pancakes."

Her stomach growled with hunger. She was ravenous.

"Then we'd better you get those pancakes," suggested Grissom, as he placed a hand on the small of her back as they headed toward reception and PD.

A shout alerted them to a fleeing prisoner heading in their direction. Grissom barely had time to move Sara out of his path before Officer Mitchell and Officer Clark managed to take him down.

"Mike Garrett you're under arrest for assaulting a police officer in the course of her duty and fleeing police custody," Clark informed him as he hauled the man to his feet.

Mike struggled vainly against the handcuffs.

"The bitch deserved it!" he yelled as he was dragged away, still struggling.

Grissom felt Sara wriggle uncomfortably against him and he looked down to see that he'd managed to pin her against the wall, his elbow in her stomach. In his haste, he hadn't been aware of what he'd done to get her out of the way.

He immediately moved, freeing her from her uncomfortable position against the wall.

"Honey, I'm so sorry, are you alright?" he asked, the endearment coming so naturally that he wasn't even aware he'd said it. At the same time, he rested his hand on her stomach, protecting the precious cargo within.

"Is the baby okay? Maybe we should see Doc Robbins and get you checked out?"

Sara puffed out her cheeks, rubbing at the spot where Grissom had inadvertently elbowed her.

"I'm fine," she nodded. "There's no need to see Doc Robbins, either."

Sara turned to face Mitch who had remained behind to make sure that Sara was okay.

"What was that all about?" she asked.

"Mike Garrett, he's a nasty piece of work," Mitch replied. "He'd pick a fight with you soon as look at you. Hates cops, and thinks the rules don't apply to him. He took a swing at the arresting officer."

Mitch turned in the direction Clark had headed, with Garrett in tow.

"It won't be too long before he's back in here. Unfortunately it never is."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N Again many thanks for the reviews they are always very much appreciated. And aslo many thanks for the amazing beta from piccolina789, and the help with plot bunnies.

* * *

"I'm surprised to say the least, Conrad, that Grissom and Sidle are still very much a part of LVPD," stated Rory Dunbar, the new sheriff.

He was over six feet tall, in his early forties with thinning brown hair and cold, penetrating grey eyes.

It had been twenty-four hours since Ecklie had reinstated Grissom and Sara and the sheriff was far from happy about the situation.

"When I said I wanted them fired, I meant exactly that," he continued, as he paced Conrad's office. "Relationships don't belong in the work place. They end very messily and leave a bitter aftertaste for everyone."

He turned to face Conrad.

"He's her supervisor – he should have been able to restrain himself."

Rory looked down to remove an imaginary piece of lint from his suit sleeve.

"It's damned unprofessional."

Conrad straightened up in his chair, placing his elbows on the desk. He recalled earlier in the shift as he walked through the lab, updating himself on the various cases that were being worked on. As he'd neared the layout room, Sara had stepped inside without noticing him. As he drew closer to the door, he'd heard Grissom let Sara know that there was no eating in the lab, in a tone that surprised Ecklie. If he'd been hoping to catch either of them out now that their relationship was in the open, he was going to be sadly disappointed.

Ecklie stared at the sheriff as his thoughts returned to the present. If there was one thing Gil Grissom wasn't, it was unprofessional, and it showed just how little the new sheriff knew about the people that worked for him.

"With all due respect, I made a decision based on what was best for the lab, Rory. It's what I'm here for. If you want a 'yes man', then hire someone else," Ecklie defended himself. "I'm no fan of Grissom's, but I was satisfied with the results of my investigation. He's highly respected by many, including his team. Besides, they're about to become parents."

Rory looked up from his grooming.

"So you let sentimentality cloud your judgement. I expected better of you, Conrad," he replied, sounding disappointed.

* * *

Although he would never admit it, after reading the personnel files on Grissom and Sidle, Dunbar couldn't help but be impressed by their achievements. Still, no matter how impressive, his professional opinion of them hadn't changed.

Rory made his way to the break room, just as four members of the grave shift exited, headed back to work. Grissom and Sara headed in his direction together, discussing the case they were working on with stacks of photos in their hands. Rory leaned against a door frame as he waited for them to draw closer.

Rory took the opportunity to observe them as they walked close together, their shoulders brushing against the other, deep in discussion.

If he hadn't known better, apart from the invasion of personal space, he would never have guessed they were romantically involved.

He straightened up as they became aware of his presence.

"Sheriff, what brings you to CSI?" Grissom asked, his right eyebrow rising.

This was their first meeting and his surprise must have shown on Dunbar's face, as Grissom elaborated.

"We got the memo about your appointment to sheriff. Congratulations."

Though they had just met, there was something about Rory that put Grissom on edge and he found himself disliking this man on both a personal and professional level.

"I'm here about you," stated Rory bluntly. "I won't beat about the bush, Mr. Grissom, I don't like work place romances. They're an unnecessary distraction. You're still here only at Lab Director Ecklie's insistence."

Grissom's eyes narrowed and his mouth thinned.

"Let me make myself clear," replied Grissom, just barely keeping his anger in check. "Our relationship doesn't interfere with our work. What happens outside the lab is _our_ business."

He found his dislike of the sheriff growing with each passing second.

Rory's gaze skimmed over Sara. The little make-up she wore was flattering, and it seemed as if she was unaware of how attractive she was. Grudgingly, Rory thought he could see why Grissom was interested in her, although he failed to see her attraction in him. His eyes settled on Sara's stomach, his obvious gaze making Sara visibly uncomfortable.

Grissom immediately stepped in front of Sara, and Rory knew exactly what his message was... _back off!_

"I found your personnel file to be an entertaining read, Mr. Grissom. I'd find it fascinating to know, if it came down to a choice between the lab and Miss Sidle, which you would choose?"

Grissom glared, his gaze steady with Rory's. There was no choice as far as Grissom was concerned.

"Sara," he said without the slightest hesitation.

Rory's smile wasn't pleasant, as his own dislike of Grissom increased.

"I supposed I wouldn't expect you to say anything else when the lady in question is standing behind you. I'd watch my step if I were you, Mr. Grissom," Rory warned him. "Your impending bundle of joy may have pricked Ecklie's conscience, but not mine. I'll be watching you both."

His threat given, Rory turned and continued down the corridor.

Grissom and Sara glanced at each other with a mutual feeling of unease as they watched the sheriff head down the corridor, before turning right and disappearing from sight.

"I see you've met the new sheriff," Hodges' voice came from behind them, startling them for a second. "We had a nice chat when he stopped by the trace lab. He seems like a nice guy... knows exactly how he wants things done and expects you to follow through. We could do with more like him around here. He's invited me out to lunch next week…"

"Just what is it that you want, Hodges?" snapped Grissom, growing irritated at Hodges' ass kissing.

Looking offended at Grissom's tone, Hodges replied, "I thought you knew. Mike Garrett is in holding at PD, waiting to be processed. He can't be officially booked, until it's been done."

"He's not even our case," Sara said, sounding surprised by the news and glancing quickly at Grissom to gauge his reaction. He looked just as surprised as she was.

"Well, he is now, apparently," Hodges said with a shrug. "You know. Since the sheriff and I are on such good terms, I'm going to ask him about upgrading the equipment…"

He trailed off as Grissom walked away with an irritated sigh, Sara following right behind him.

Hodges watched them leave with a mystified look on his face.

"Was it something I said?" he asked to the empty hallway.

* * *

After collecting their kits, Grissom and Sara headed to PD and the holding cells.

Officer Clark accompanied Grissom and Sara to Garrett's cell, who watched silently while leaning against the bars.

As Clark drew closer, Garrett's eyes narrowed slightly, his nostrils flaring briefly before turning his attention to the two newcomers.

"Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle from the crime lab," Grissom introduced them. "We're here to collect DNA and any trace evidence from your person."

Garrett straightened up. He stood an inch or two taller than Grissom, with an athletic build and black hair styled in a crew cut. His eyes flickered to Sara, and something about his cold dead stare made her shiver.

Placing their kits on the floor and pulling on latex gloves, the two CSI's began the job of processing the suspect.

As they worked, Garrett remained silent. But on several occasions, Sara felt him watching her, making her uncomfortable. She tried not to think about it as she continued collecting evidence. But when she hesitated slightly while taking a buccal swab from Garrett's mouth, Grissom noticed and instantly became aware of her unease.

Garrett turned his cold stare from Sara to Grissom, as Sara quickly stepped away. Grissom's eyes flickered to Sara and back to Garrett. He now felt the same unease as Sara, and he couldn't help but feel suddenly apprehensive. Garrett had been far too quiet and cooperative after the struggle of his arrest the previous day, after almost running them down in the hall.

Grissom made his way over to Sara as she knelt down by her kit, putting her initials on the evidence she'd collected.

Sara didn't startle or frighten easily, but something about Garrett had put her on edge. When she sensed someone approaching her from behind, her hand flew automatically to the butt of her gun. She had it drawn before she turned around and realized that it was Grissom.

She breathed out a shaky, relieved breath.

"We're almost done," Grissom said softly, as he knelt down beside her. "I can finish up here."

"I'm not leaving you alone with him," Sara returned, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. Her hand shook slightly and Grissom noticed.

Grissom helped her finish putting her evidence away, brushing her fingers with his on purpose.

"I'll be fine. Officer Clark is here. Go on, I can manage."

Sara searched his face a moment before she gave him a slight nod. She blew out another shaky breath as she gathered everything together, trying to avoid looking at Garrett. She could still feel his gaze burning into the back of her neck.

Garrett tilted his head to one side as he watched the two CSI's talk in low tones. A sudden grin erupted on his face as he realised there was something more between them than just colleagues.

As Sara left, Grissom turned back to Garrett to finish processing him. Garrett was watching Sara leave. Very slowly, he turned to face Grissom again. His smile and the cold glint in his eyes chilled Grissom's blood.


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N Thank you once more for the lovely reviews. As always they are very much appreciated. Many thanks to piccolina789 for the beta and helping out with the American medical system, which is (obviously) very different to the British one. :) I'm not a doctor, so any other errors are my own. I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)_

* * *

Grissom was relieved that Clark was just outside the cell. His apprehension about being around Garrett was increasing and he'd feel much better once all this was over.

"I just need to take fingernail scrapings and then we're done," Grissom explained, mentally taking a breath.

He stepped towards Garrett, ignoring the sudden increase in his heart rate as he became aware of a change in Garrett. The tension rolled off him in waves as he tensed like a coiled spring.

Garrett's cold stare darkened as Grissom approached, his nostrils flared and his hands curled into fists.

"You're done," Garrett spoke for the first time since Grissom had entered his cell. "You've taken all the samples and swabs you're gonna take."

"Everything all right, Mr. Grissom?" asked Clark, becoming aware of the tension in the cell. His hand rose, pausing near the butt of his gun as he slowly opened the cell door. Experience and instinct told him that something was not quite right.

"Everything's fine," Grissom said, not taking his eyes from Garrett. He had a feeling that would be a very dangerous thing to do. "I just need a few more samples and then we're done here."

Grissom turned his full attention back to Garrett. He wouldn't allow himself to be intimidated.

"No more than a minute…"

Grissom wasn't sure what happened next, it was only a blur of motion. Garrett lunged at him at the same time Clark shoved him roughly out of the way, his gun drawn. Grissom could hear the sound of running footsteps as several more officers, including Brass, entered the holding cell as Garrett fought viciously back at Clark.

Grissom picked himself up off the ground, rubbing his left shoulder as Brass approached him.

"Sara asked me to check on you, she was pretty worried about how Garrett was acting around you," Brass said. "I guess I arrived just in time."

Brass looked over at Garrett, now finally restrained. A few officers were nursing a few cuts and bruises, but were otherwise okay. Brass sighed.

"This could have been so much messier," he stated. "What the hell happened, Gil?"

"I have no idea," replied Grissom, a little shaken as he picked up his kit before he and Brass exited the cell. "I was about to take some scrapings from him and then everything happened at once."

Sara was waiting just outside for them, looking extremely worried. Her relief on seeing he was unharmed was evident, and it made Grissom catch his breath and made his stomach twinge.

Her eyes searched his face, still feeling worried, as she fought the urge to hug him.

"I'm fine," he assured her gently, answering her unspoken question.

He closed the gap between them, his free hand grabbing hers, and gave her an affirming squeeze before quickly letting go. He turned back to where the whole thing happened, relieved that it was all over. He could only hope that another encounter with Mike Garrett wasn't forthcoming any time soon.

* * *

Just shortly after 1.15 pm the following afternoon, Grissom made his way down to the kitchenette, where Sara was busy making them both breakfast.

Grissom came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close as he kissed her neck.

"Hi, beautiful," he whispered, his breath and beard tickling her skin.

She smiled as she turned around in his arms, draping her arms languidly around his neck. His hair was still damp from the shower he'd just had, and she leaned in to kiss him.

He hummed as he tightened his hold on her slightly, before drawing back.

"Are you sure you still want to come?" Sara asked, also drawing back slightly. "You've not had as much sleep as I have, since I have a very understanding boss, who insisted I only work half a shift."

The day marked Sara's first appointment with her OBGYN, and the chance to see their baby for the first time.

Grissom grinned before giving her a quick kiss.

"Honey, I'll be fine. I wouldn't miss it for anything. Understanding boss, huh?" he asked raising an eyebrow. "He sounds like quite a guy. Should I be jealous?"

Sara's grinned widened.

"Oh no, you're way more attractive."

* * *

At the Desert Palm Medical Center, Grissom and Sara sat in Dr. Dana Sand's office, going through various questions and forms.

Everything was going well until Dana looked up from writing up her notes and saw the look of concern pass between Gil and Sara.

"Is there something on your mind, Sara?" the doctor asked with a reassuring smile. "If you have any concerns at all, I'm here to help in any way I can."

With another shared look of concern, Sara explained, "There is a history of hearing loss in Gil's family."

"My mother has otosclerosis," Grissom added. "She went deaf when she was eight. A few years ago I started developing symptoms. I had a successful stapedectomy."

"I see," replied Dana putting down her pen. "And you're worried that it may be passed on to the baby? Is there any similar history in your family Sara?"

Sara shook her head.

"No, but we wondered if we could know about any potential hearing loss before the baby is born?"

Dana shook her head.

"I'm afraid that it isn't something that can be tested before birth," she said. "Usually the baby would receive a hearing-screening test before you go home from the hospital. I'll make note of your concerns, and they'll conduct that hearing screening as soon as they can after the birth, and give you both pace of mind. I want to assure you though, that although there is a history of genetic hearing loss in your family, Gil, there is none in Sara's, so there is a good chance that your baby will be fine. Is there anything else that you have concerns about?"

Grissom and Sara both shook their heads.

"Okay Sara, I think we're all done, regarding the paperwork," the doctor said. "Now we'll get to the exciting part of the appointment...introducing you to your baby."

The doctor took them through into another room, where various medical equipment was set up. A examination couch sat in the middle of the room, with a chair next to it that faced the screen on the monitor.

"Okay, Sara if you'd like to hop up onto the couch and lift up your blouse slightly we can begin. Dad, you can take the chair there."

Sara did as she was asked, settling back onto the couch as Grissom took her hand in his.

"Right then, this gel can be a little cold, so I apologise," Dana continued as she squirted the gel on Sara's stomach.

She hissed slightly as the cold gel made her flinch. Dana smiled as she moved the transducer expertly over Sara's stomach, finding the baby within a few minutes.

"And there is your little one," Dana said, her eyes still locked on the monitor's image.

Grissom couldn't take his eyes from the monitor and the tiny, grainy, grey image. Apart from Sara's physical symptoms, the pregnancy hadn't seemed real. Now he was faced with the reality as he watched the tiny image of their son or daughter wriggle and squirm on the monitor before him for the first time.

 _Our son or daughter_ , he thought to himself. The very thought brought a wave of overpowering emotions that he hadn't expected. His grip tightened on Sara's hand as he glanced in her direction, knowing she shared the same feelings.

Dana turned to them with a smile.

"Everything is looking good," she informed them. "Would you like to hear the heartbeat?"

When Grissom and Sara both nodded, Dana pressed a few buttons and a rapid _swoosh swoosh_ filled the room.

Sara glanced quickly at Grissom, gracing him with the full Sidle smile.

"One-hundred-seventy-five beats per minute," Dana noted, as she continued to take measurements. "That's very good. From the information, I can tell you that you're nine weeks along, and the little one is due August seventeenth."

Sara glanced at Grissom, her smile growing wider.

"Well that's one birthday present you weren't quite expecting."

"Honey, it's the best birthday present I could ever have," he said kissing the palm of her hand, his grin matching hers.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N Again thank you for the reviews and new followers, you are all very much appreciated. Thanks again to piccolina789 for the beta. This story wouldn't be what it is, without your amazing help. Hope you continue to enjoy the story. How is everyone after the Finale? It was aired in the UK last night and I'm sad its over, but my heart is bursting that GSR is sailing once more - literally this time!**

* * *

Grissom paused in the doorway of the CSI garage, watching Sara and Nick work on processing a burnt car from the previous night.

His eyes focused solely on Sara. As was her custom, she had tied the sleeves of the department-issued blue coveralls around her waist while she worked. They didn't hide the slight swell of her abdomen, as the blue fabric emphasised the growing baby bump.

He leaned slightly against the doorway, his hands in his pockets as he continued to watch them work. His eyes wandered over her again, before resting his gaze once again on her bump. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards slightly, remembering the sight before him two days before of Sara standing in their bedroom, struggling to fasten a pair of jeans.

 _"Need a hand there, dear?" he had asked, his amusement evident in his tone._

 _"It's not funny, Gil!" Sara had glared at him as she huffed and tried once more to fasten the garment._

 _She sucked in a breath, almost standing on her tiptoes as she struggled with the button._

 _"They fit last week!" she complained._

 _Giving up, she turned towards the full-length mirror and lifted up her t-shirt. The curve of her stomach was much more pronounced than it used to be. Her bump was starting to show._

 _How had she not noticed before this? As she thought about it a little more, she realised that her clothes had seemed a little tighter recently._

 _She glanced at Grissom as he came over and stood behind her, resting his hands gently on the small bump as he nuzzled her neck._

 _"Seems we've found the culprit," he said as he gently rested his chin on her shoulder, holding her a little tighter._

 _Sara sighed and leaned back into his embrace, resting her hands on his, which still cradled the bump._

 _"Yeah, and his name is Gil Grissom. This is on you, Romeo," she teased._

 _He raised an eyebrow as he pursed his lips._

 _"You helped, remember?" he reminded her._

 _The grin on his face, the one that made him look so boyish, made Sara weak in the knees. With a smirk on her face, she swatted him playfully before breaking the embrace and heading over to the chest of drawers, rummaging around before she pulled out a pair of sweatpants._

 _They'd spent the next two hours shopping for maternity wear._

Grissom's thoughts returned to the present. Once he'd gotten used to the concept of becoming a father, he'd fully embraced the notion. That feeling had only deepened after the scan at the doctor's office seven weeks before. Although there were still moments when the physical reality of Sara's changing body shape, even though it was only slight for now, still managed to overwhelm him.

"Gil!"

Grissom was pulled from his reverie as Ecklie approached him with an eyebrow raised, fully aware that he'd clearly caught Grissom checking Sara out.

Grissom straightened up as Ecklie drew closer, and Sara looked up curiously from the car as she noticed the two men for the first time. Choosing to ignore Grissom's rare lapse in attention, Ecklie got straight to the point.

"A DB has just been discovered by two hikers. I want you and Sara to check it out."

Ecklie turned to Sara.

"I'd like to see you in my office in ten minutes."

Conrad turned to leave as Grissom and Sara looked at each other, with matching expressions of puzzlement on their faces.

"I'll get our kits and meet you at the Denali," Grissom replied as he left the garage, and Sara headed toward the locker room to change and freshen up.

* * *

It was closer to fifteen minutes before Sara knocked on Ecklie's door, still puzzled as to why he would want to see her. He was seated at his desk as she entered his office at his summons.

"Take a seat," he smiled as he gestured to the chair in front of his desk.

"I'm fine," she replied. "I just want to know why I'm here."

Conrad sighed as he rested his elbows on the desk.

"I just wanted to see how things were going," he said, clearing his throat slightly. He was clearly uncomfortable. "Any further problems in the lab?"

Sara shook her head no.

 _As Grissom and Sara had expected shortly after their return, whispers had began to make the rounds of the lab. For several weeks, conversations would stop if either Grissom or Sara entered a room. As the team became aware of the gossip, they quickly jumped to their defense, quelling any further rumours and speculations as they arose._

 _Finally, their relationship had become old news, until the tiny bump in Sara's midsection became much more noticeable and the whispers started once more._

 _Sara had begun to feel like she was working in a goldfish bowl within the glass walled corridors of the lab. The whispers had gotten so bad that help had come from an unexpected source in Conrad Ecklie._

 _His support had effectively stopped the whisperings in their tracks and he had become much more accommodating where Grissom and Sara were concerned. It seemed that with the blossoming pregnancy, Ecklie had finally buried the years-long grudge he'd held against Grissom._

"Everything's fine," Sara assured him with a nod, returning to the present.

"Any problems out in the field?"

Again, Sara shook her head.

"Really, Conrad, everything is fine. I'm taking all the necessary precautions both in the field and in the lab. Now, can I go do my job?" she pointed a thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the door. "Gil is still waiting for me."

Ecklie nodded affirmatively but as Sara reached the door, he added, "Sara… my door is open if you need to talk."

* * *

Sara scanned the ground of the dusty crime scene before pausing to snap several photos of the tire marks she'd found. Placing a marker beside one, she continued slowly making her way to where Grissom worked near the body.

"I'd say she's been dead between five to seven hours," Dave remarked.

Patting down the body, he added, "There's no ID."

Grissom frowned, the tip of his tongue poking out over his bottom lip as he concentrated. If there was one thing he hated, it was men - and he used the term loosely - using women as punching bags.

"She put up a fight," he noted, snapping off photos of her wrists.

He turned her hands over to reveal more defensive wounds. He took more photos before turning his attention to her face. Her lip was cut, still showing traces of blood. There was a laceration to her cheekbone and her eye was badly bruised. The exposed flesh of her arms showed the fresh bruises she had sustained in her desperate fight to cling to life.

Grissom looked around the immediate area where the body lay. A disturbance leading from the top of the slight dip to where the body had eventually come to rest meant that this was a body dump.

As Dave removed the body, Grissom scanned the ground searching for more evidence. He took several more photos, collecting evidence as he went.

When all their evidence was gathered and taken to the appropriate labs, Grissom met Doc Robbins for his autopsy results.

"Your Jane Doe was beaten and strangled," Al Robbins informed Grissom. "She had sex a few hours before she died. I've sent off samples to DNA."

Grissom raised an eyebrow as he glanced over the body.

"Rape or consensual?" Grissom pondered as he looked back at Al.

"It's hard to say. It may have started out as consensual, but it didn't end that way."

"Thanks, Doc," Grissom replied as he left autopsy.

* * *

Meeting up with Sara in the layout room, Grissom brought her up to speed on what Robbins had told him. As they discussed their next move, Mandy, followed closely by Wendy, stepped into the room. They were both holding folders.

"Fingerprint came back as Quinn Harper," Mandy began.

"She was in the system?" Sara asked.

"I got it off her work card," Mandy replied. "She started working at the MGM Grand almost three months ago."

"I also got a match on the DNA sample that Doc collected," Wendy added. "Came back to a Mike Garrett."

Grissom and Sara looked at one another in surprise and then back at Wendy.

"Garrett has been in custody for three months, how is that even possible?" Grissom questioned with a frown, taking off his glasses.

Wendy shrugged.

"I don't know, but he did have sex with Quinn before she died."

Grissom turned to Sara as Wendy and Mandy left them with the folders.

"Run a search on Garrett," he said. "I want to know exactly who we're dealing with. I'll call Jim and find out exactly what is going on."

Grissom headed toward his office, his fingers dialing Brass' number to explain what was going on.

* * *

"Garrett was bailed after three weeks in county lock-up," Jim explained to Sara and Grissom half an hour later. "It was posted anonymously."

Sara looked between Grissom and Brass as she explained what she'd learned.

"Quinn Harper is Mike Garrett's ex-girlfriend," she said. "She ended the relationship when he became possessive. In fact, she had a restraining order against him after he almost broke her jaw when accusing her of cheating on him."

"I'll send an officer to arrest him," stated Brass as he arose from his chair. "He's got some explaining to do, since he broke his restraining order."

* * *

The interview with Garrett wasn't going well, with Garrett resentful of his arrest, and the tension between Garrett, Brass and Grissom, at an all-time high.

Garrett's cold stare bore down on Grissom, who just barely managed to repress the chill that ran through his body.

"What's that _bitch_ been telling you?" Garrett hissed, his hands clenching and unclenching into fists, his nostrils flaring.

"Nothing, since Quinn is dead," said Grissom quietly, watching Garrett carefully.

He'd not forgotten his last encounter with Garrett and had hoped to avoid another meeting. He was starting to feel very uneasy and wanted the interview over with.

Grissom pushed the autopsy photos towards Garrett, who ignored them.

"We recovered DNA from her body, that came back as a match to you," Grissom explained, his unease increasing as the tension in the room grew. "You had sex with her, before she died."

"So what?" spat Garrett. "She was begging for it! But that don't mean I killed her!"

"You broke your restraining order," Brass stated quietly, carefully watching Garrett's body language with unease.

"This is harassment!" Garrett hissed, focusing his cold stare on Grissom. "There's no way you're pinning this on me!"

His hands clenched into fists as his anger amplified, his eyes burned with hatred as he glared at Grissom.

"You're setting me up!" Garrett spat viciously, his cold eyes burning, his body tensing.

Brass quickly realised that things were getting out of hand and glanced at Officer Metcalf with a look of warning.

Metcalf stepped forward cautiously, knowing Garrett's reputation for violence and feeling glad that Captain Brass was there.

"Gil, could I have a word outside?" Brass said quietly, hoping that Grissom would take the hint.

Relieved for an excuse to leave the interview room, Grissom rose to his feet.

"I don't set people up, I follow the evidence," he calmly told Garrett.

In a blur of movement, Garrett lunged for Grissom. The table hindered Garrett's progress, allowing Metcalf to gain a tentative hold on Garrett as more officers entered the room. At the same time, Brass ushered Grissom out the door.

As they left, Brass saw several officers surrounding Garrett, handcuffing him while he voiced his rage.

"From now on, if you have any more dealings with him, I want three officers with you," Brass said as he heaved a sigh of relief.

Grissom swallowed his own relief as he glanced back at the interview room, where the officers continued to struggle with Garrett. Seeing him again at any time would be too soon. There was no question that Garret was dangerous.

As Grissom turned to head to the lab, Sara stepped out from the other interview room, and it was clear that she had witnessed what had happened.

"He's laughing at us," Sara stated. "All we have is a restraining order and his DNA."

"Breaking the restraining order breaks his bail conditions," Brass tried his best to soothe her. "That alone is enough to send him back to county, while you do some more digging around."

The sounds of a struggle warned them of the six officers moving Garrett to holding. It was clear that they had their hands full, as Garrett's attempt to break free increased as he saw the trio.

"I'll get you for this, Grissom!" Garrett bellowed, "And your bitch, too!"

His struggles became violent enough that several officers lost their grip on his arms. Sensing his advantage, he heaved forward, using his upper body strength to break free.

Although his hands were handcuffed behind his back, it didn't stop him from barreling toward Grissom. Timing it just right, Garrett swung his head to the right, connecting squarely with Grissom's nose.

Grissom stumbled backward, tripping over his own feet, as blood gushed from his nose.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Many thanks for the reviews. I was in two minds to post this chapter. My Muse has taken this in a direction that I wasn't quite expecting. Clearly my Muse has a plan and she's determined that I follow it. Many thanks as always to piccolina789 for the beta, and giving me the confidence to write this.**

* * *

Everything seemed to happen all at once.

Grissom stumbled backwards, only stopping when his back connected with the wall with a jarring thud that sent a shockwave of pain through his nose. With a muffled cry, he slid down the wall, his hands covering his bleeding nose.

Brass instinctively stepped in front of Sara, his back to her protectively, his gun drawn, as his fellow officers tackled Garrett to the ground.

" _Gil_!"

Sara's only concern was for Grissom, and she pushed against Brass' back in order to kneel down beside the stricken Grissom.

Grissom's glasses hung askew. The bridge of his glasses was bent and one lens was cracked. Blood trickled through the gap of his fingers as his hands covered his nose.

Sara gently removed his glasses, noting with relief that the lens, though cracked, had not completely shattered.

As Sara checked him over, Brass glanced down at them briefly, before he dug into his trouser pocket, brought out a clean hankie and passed it to Sara.

Grissom gingerly placed the hankerchief over his nose, before pinching the soft part of his nose and leaning forward slightly with his head tipped forward.

Meanwhile, Garrett continued to struggle against his captors. His hate-filled gaze was still deadlocked on Grissom, with a gleam of satisfaction.

"This isn't over, Grissom!" Garrett warned, as he was hauled to his feet. "You'll pay for this, ya hear me? I'll get you for this!"

"Get him outta here!" Brass ordered before turning his attention to the couple.

He knelt down beside Grissom, putting his hand on Grissom's shoulder. Sara carefully examined Grissom's nose, which had thankfully stopped bleeding. She could already see signs of slight swelling over the bridge of his nose and a bruise starting to form underneath his eyes.

"We'd better get Doc Robbins to check you over," said Brass. "Just to make sure that Garrett didn't break your nose."

"I'm fine," Grissom insisted as Brass helped him to his feet, his attention on Sara. "What about you, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but Jim's right, we should get Robbins to check you over, just in case. It'll make me feel better," she added as he was about to protest again.

Resigned to the fact that he wouldn't hear the end of it until they were both satisfied, Grissom reluctantly agreed. As the three of them headed toward autopsy, they were unaware that the whole thing had been witnessed. They didn't see a tall figure step back into the shadows as they passed by.

With an unsympathetic smile, the observer reached for their phone and quickly dialed.

The call was answered on the fourth ring.

"Get yourself down to the Crime Lab. I need access to a prisoner without causing too much suspicion. Meet me in the day supervisor's office."

* * *

Al Robbins made a thorough check of Grissom's nose. Grissom winced as the coroner manipulated his nose. Robbins apologised repeatedly as he continued his examination.

"You're not my bitch," Grissom muttered, unaware that he'd voiced his thoughts aloud as he tried to take his mind off the pain.

"I know that, Baby," Sara reassured him, now too concerned for his well-being to remain professional.

Al and Jim shared a look. Any other time, they might tease her for using a pet name in front of them. In this case, however, they silently agreed to let it go.

"Well, you're damn lucky that this is only a non-displaced fracture," concluded Robbins, finally finished with his exam of Grissom. "From what you've told me, this could have been a lot worse. All I can suggest is put some more ice on that, when you get home, and take it easy, in case your nose starts bleeding again. You're going to have a lovely pair of black eyes tomorrow."

* * *

In the floor above the morgue, the scheduled meeting in the day supervisor's office had taken a tense tone.

"You're skating on thin ice, and you know it! You're damn lucky that you walked away last time."

"Which is why I hired you. You owe me."

"And you're not going to let me forget it, are you? You're not untouchable you know. One day, you'll go too far and it'll end with both of our careers down the toilet."

"It'll never happen. He'll make the perfect scrape goat. From what I saw, he won't take much persuading. Trust me."

"It was trusting you that got me into this mess."

"I said I'd look after you and I have. But remember this, if I go down, I take you with me. Get me into see Garrett. I don't care how you do it."

* * *

Garrett watched as four police officers and the driver of the prison transport bus exited the vehicle and headed back into PD, leaving him alone on the bus. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, a satisfied smirk on his face, happy at the apparent delay in whatever it was he was waiting for.

"You seem pleased with yourself, and rightly so."

Garrett's eyes flew open at the unexpected voice.

"Who the fuck are you?" Garrett demanded, not appreciating the fact someone had sneaked up on him. He glared at the shadowed figure that stood several feet from him.

"I think you'd appreciate 'business associate' much better than 'friend'. I've read your record."

Garrett laughed derisively.

"Then you know damn well I don't make deals with cops. They tend to screw you over, so don't waste your breath or my time."

"I saw what you did to Grissom and I was very impressed," the shadowed voice continued, hoping to appeal to Garrett's vanity. "He must have really pissed you off. You certainly took that smug look off his face."

Garrett's eyes narrowed, his smirk returning as he nodded at the memory.

"The son-of-a-bitch is trying to set me up. I set him straight."

"Let's say… if another… opportunity arose, would you take it?"

Garrett snorted laughter again. He held up his handcuffed hands and stretched out his shackled feet. They were taking every precaution this time.

"You're as dumb as that son of a bitch that put me back in here. I told you, I don't do deals with cops."

The figure laughed.

"For someone smart enough to bring Grissom down a peg or two, you're pretty dumb. By now, it should be pretty obvious that I'm not your average cop. I don't worship the ground Grissom walks on. I see him for the conniving bastard he is, just like you do. I'm sure he's quite capable of setting you up if he put his mind to it. I wouldn't put it past him. He needs to be taught a lesson he'll not forget in a hurry. And I think you're just the man to do it."

Garrett was silent for a few minutes as he considered the proposal. It did sound tempting. Having a rogue cop on side could only be an advantage.

"What would I get out of this?" Garrett wanted to know.

"My protection. And Gil Grissom on a silver plate."

Again, Garrett remained silent as he considered his options.

"Okay, I'm in," he replied eventually. "What do I have to do?"

"Right now, nothing. He'll likely be expecting you to attack him at the next chance you get, so he will surround himself with protection like the coward he is," the shadowed figure said, continuing to manipulate Garrett. "You do what I say and I can protect you. If not… I'll throw you to the sharks. I'll be in touch. Until then, there should be no need to tell you that this conversation never happened."

Garrett grinned as the figure exited the prison bus.

It was open season on Gil Grissom.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N Sorry for the delay on chapters,. both myself and my beta have been a little busy. There is another chapter ready to beta, but there will be a little delay as my beta is heading out of town at the weekend. As always man many thanks for the reviews, they are always very much appreciated. Many thanks for piccolina789 for the beta.**

* * *

Late in the afternoon, Sara awoke to the muffled sound of retching coming from the bathroom. She stifled a yawn, already feeling the effects of their disturbed sleep. Grissom had been restless, unable to get comfortable while sleeping propped up on several pillows to prevent his broken nose from swelling further.

" _Damn it!"_ Grissom's muffled, irritated curse came from the bathroom. Her mild-tempered entomologist didn't sound happy.

Slipping out of bed, Sara padded barefoot to the bathroom door. She tapped lightly on the door before pushing it open.

"Gil?" she questioned as she poked her head around the door.

He was sitting on the floor beside the toilet, his back against the tiled wall, his head tilted forward slightly, holding a bloody tissue to his nose. Blood stained the front of his t-shirt.

Sara quickly knelt down beside him. His face was pale and his left eye was badly bruised where Garrett had struck him. The bruise extended over the cut on the bridge of his nose and continued on to the right eye, which was only marginally better.

"What happened?" Sara asked, her fingers brushing lightly through his greying curls.

"Migraine," Grissom muttered, as he winced. Even talking seemed to hurt his head.

She kissed his forehead gently, knowing that it must be a bad one if it was making him nauseous. Grissom hadn't gotten a migraine in a long time, but Garrett's attack certainly wouldn't have helped matters.

Reaching for more tissue, she gently lowered his hands and carefully examined his nose. There were no further signs of swelling, but it looked painful. Luckily, the bleeding had stopped again.

"It looks painful. I'll get some more ice, but I don't think there's any more swelling," she said as she rose to her feet. "I hope Garrett gets everything that's coming to him."

* * *

Later that night, Grissom and Sara headed to the lab early, intending to investigate further into Quinn Harper's murder. Hodges immediately accosted them with a folder in hand.

Hodges' double-take on seeing Grissom's black eyes would have been funny, if it hadn't been obvious that Grissom was clearly in pain.

Grissom's pained glare was stern enough to discourage Hodges from asking any questions, and he quickly got down to business.

"The hairs came back as equestrian, - horse hair, although I can't give you a specific breed. Which leads into the waxy substance that came back as mink oil. It's used as a leather preserver." Hodges raised an eyebrow. "You're looking for someone who either rides or works with horses."

As Grissom took the file his lips pursed as another puzzle piece fell into place and he quickly headed towards his office. Sara made her way to the break room, finding Nick already there, helping himself to coffee. He smiled on seeing Sara.

"Hey, Love bug. How's Cricket?"

Sara couldn't help the smile that Nick's pet name for her and Grissom and the baby still brought.

"I'm fine, and so is Cricket, thanks for asking," she responded, making her way over to the counter to make some tea.

"We missed you at breakfast," Nick continued, looking at her over the top of his cup as he sipped his coffee.

Sara was about to explain what had happened, when Greg, Catherine and Warrick entered the break room. By the time the greetings were over with, Grissom had also silently entered the break room.

"What the hell happened, Grissom?" Nick gasped in shock as he happened to look up from his cup, making everyone turn to face the supervisor.

It was evident to everyone that he was in pain as Grissom tried not to wince. Although he did manage to control the urge to rub his forehead, the pounding in his head increased.

"He was attacked by Garrett last night," Sara began. She went on to explain what had happened.

"Anyway. Moving on to tonight's assignments," Grissom cut in the instant Sara's story was done.

Since he was unable to wear his glasses until his nose healed, he held the assignments closer to his face and passed them out one by one. Finally, only Grissom and Sara were left in the break room, ready to pick up the pieces of the Quinn Harper case.

"I've managed to locate a riding stables or ranch five miles from where Quinn's body was dumped," Grissom explained to Sara just as Ecklie and Brass entered the break room.

Ecklie winced at seeing Grissom's black eyes and injured nose.

"That looks nasty," he said, sounding genuinely sympathetic. "I hope you're pressing charges."

"Yes, he is," said Sara pointedly, glaring at Grissom strongly.

Her expression made it clear to Brass and Ecklie that the matter had clearly been a sore point between them.

"Since he's made threats against you both, anything pertaining to Garrett is off limits," Ecklie said.

"We want this case, Conrad. We've found evidence that's led us to a ranch just five miles from where Quinn's body was dumped."

"If there's even a hint of Garrett's involvement in this then you both need to take a step back," Ecklie tried again.

"We're not talking about Garrett," Sara joined in. "It's about finding justice for Quinn."

"I'd assign you both to the lab, if I thought you'd both listen to me," Ecklie continued with a slight shake of his head. "Fine, run with what you have, but you come through me first. And until I decide otherwise, Jim is assigning Officers Mitchell, Clark and Metcalf to go with you."

"I also think it'd be wise to start carrying your weapon, Gil," Brass joined in, his tone serious. "If not for yourself, then do it for Sara and the baby."

The mention of Sara and the baby brought Grissom up short, and his gaze drifted over to her. If anything happened to either of them and he hadn't had the means to protect them, he'd never forgive himself. Grissom gave a curt nod that he regretted instantly, as needling pain shot through his head and nose, before turning and heading towards his office.

* * *

On their way to the ranch, Sara glanced worriedly at Grissom before returning her attention back to the road. Grissom leaned back against the headrest of the Denali, his eyes closed and his lips tight with pain.

She'd known when he hadn't argued over who was driving, despite the painkillers he'd taken, that his migraine showed no signs of easing. Her thoughts were confirmed when she reached out to turn on the radio, and Grissom stopped her with his hand.

As she continued to drive, Grissom raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, realising his mistake too late. Needles of agony exploded from his nose and pierced his head like a knife. He hissed sharply as nausea washed over him.

"Pull over!" he muttered, fighting to master the unsettled feeling in his stomach.

Sara did as he asked and Grissom had opened his door and was out of the Denali before the vehicle had even come to a stop.

As he disappeared into the darkness, Sara unclipped her seatbelt, climbed out and headed towards the back of the Denali. She rummaged around in amongst their kits and other equipment before finding a spare bottle of water. Grissom's windbreaker was also there and after searching around in the pockets, she found his spare medication.

When he returned ten minutes later, she reached out to touch him, rubbing his arm in comfort as she allowed her concern to show. As she handed him the water and his tablets, he smiled his appreciation. They set off for the Dalton Ranch ten minutes later.

When they finally reached the Dalton Ranch fifteen minutes later, a man in his middle forties was just coming from the stables. He was slim, just shy of six feet tall, with tanned weathered skin from spending time outside and friendly green eyes.

"Can I help you folks?" he asked in a friendly manner, as he put down the metal bucket he was holding. "I'm Whip Dalton, I'm the manager here."

His eyes drifted from Grissom to Sara to the two police cars that had followed in behind them.

"Gil Grissom, Sara Sidle from the Las Vegas Crime lab. We're investigating the murder of a young woman. She was found five miles down the road," Grissom explained, as he held out a photo of Quinn. "Do you know if she ever visited here?"

Whip took hold of the photo and studied it. His face paled.

"That's Quinn Harper," he said in a shocked tone as he handed the photo back to Grissom. "She was here just a few days ago. I broke up an argument between her and one of my employees, Kyle Griffin. He can be hot-headed at times, but he's a good worker."

"Is he around?" Sara asked. "We'd like to have a chat with him, then maybe have a look around."

"Don't you need a warrant?"

"Do we? A young woman was beaten and murdered not far from here," Sara's voice rose slightly. "This is one of the last places she was seen alive, arguing with an employee of yours. We can get a warrant, but that takes time. In the time it takes, we could have already eliminated you from our investigation. Your cooperation would be appreciated."

"He's in the tack room, just off to the left of the stables. I could show you."

"We'll manage and thank you."

Grissom and Sara, followed by Clark and Metcalf, walked the short way to the tack room. The building was spacious, with the room divided into partitions for easier access to individual equipment. On the far wall hung several halters and stirrups. Brackets also hung from the walls, for the saddles and horse blankets and riding hats.

Kyle Griffin was sweeping the floor as they entered. He was of average height, with grey eyes and mousy blond hair. There were abrasions on the knuckles of his right hand.

Kyle's eyes narrowed on seeing the cops behind Grissom and Sara, growing noticeably nervous.

"Gil Grissom, Sara Sidle from Las Vegas Crime Lab," Grissom repeated. "We'd like to ask you a few questions."

"You'll have to clear that with Mr Dalton," Kyle deflected, sweeping the floor again and edging slowly to a door at the rear of the tack room.

"It won't take that long," Grissom assured him, moving forward slightly and keeping Griffin in sight. "I understand that you know Quinn Harper and that you had an argument a few days ago."

"Yeah, I know her. We had a disagreement, but I wouldn't say it was an argument."

"What was it about?" Sara asked.

"Her ex-boyfriend," Kyle answered. "He doesn't like the fact she had the balls to move on without him in her life. She was terrified of him. He accused her of cheating on him and he almost broke her jaw."

Grissom's phone rang, and he walked away to answer it as Sara continued to question Kyle.

"Results just came through on the fingernail scrapings," Wendy explained on the other end of the line. "Donor is an unknown male. DNA doesn't match Mike Garrett. Whoever killed Quinn Harper will have scratches on them. Either on the arms or face."

"Thanks Wendy," Grissom said, ending the call.

He turned back to Kyle Griffin, who pushed up the sleeves of his shirt nervously. Grissom's eyes settled on the four red marks on Griffin's left arm.

"How did you get those scratches?" Grissom asked.

Instead of answering, Griffin bolted for the rear door, Clark and Metcalf hard on his heels.

* * *

By the end of their shift, Grissom and Sara had processed the tack room and had taken trace and DNA samples from Griffin. Confronted with the evidence that he'd killed Quinn, Griffin had come clean about what had happened.

Despite the restraining order, Garrett had continued to threaten Quinn. Over time, his threats increased to include family and friends and Quinn had agreed to return to him, more terrified of the consequences if she didn't.

Tempers had run high as Kyle had tried to talk her out of her decision. Quinn had refused to listen. It was at that moment that Kyle had taken one of the halters from the tack room and strangled Quinn.

Grissom and Sara ran through the results of the case by Ecklie, including that their findings cleared Garrett of Quinn's murder.

Grissom and Sara were just about to leave the lab to get breakfast when Ecklie caught up with them in the parking lot.

"Just thought you should know, Garrett will be remaining in custody, despite being cleared of Quinn's murder," he said. "Even if she was going back to him, it's a case of he said, she said. The restraining order was still in place at the time of her death. He's looking at five years minimum. Good work, guys."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N Many thanks for the reviews, they are always very much appreciated. Also thanks to piccolina789 fr the Beta as always.**

* * *

Sara puffed out a weary sigh as she entered the break room. Fighting back a yawn, she sat down to concentrate on the paperwork for the case she was working on. She'd be glad when it was finally the end of shift.

She fidgeted on the chair, trying to get comfortable. Her back ached, and she was feeling a general sense of weariness. The baby was lying in an uncomfortable position and it was kicking hard enough to make her wince. She leaned back against the chair as she rubbed the spot until the baby moved again.

Grissom entered the break room and Sara quickly moved toward the table, hiding her bump as she resumed staring at the paperwork.

Grissom, unaware of Sara's discomfort as he helped himself to some coffee, turned to face her as he took a grateful sip.

Grissom bit his bottom lip thoughtfully as he continued to watch Sara. Now almost halfway through her fifth month of pregnancy, Sara was glowing. She'd always been slender, but as was to be expected, as the pregnancy progressed she'd gained a little more weight, but not much. It suited her.

"Honey…" he began, and then paused.

Sara looked up from her paperwork with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"How's the case coming along?" Grissom asked, instead of saying what was really on his mind.

"It shouldn't take much longer," Sara replied, turning her attention back to the paperwork. "Just a few loose ends to tie up and it's case closed."

Grissom watched her, biting his lip in thought as he debated if he should tell her what was on his mind when his pager beeped, and he quickly put his cup down.

"That's Henry with my tox results. I heard the guys mention going to IHOP for breakfast again," he informed her as he left the break room. "I'll meet you outside my office at the end of shift."

Sara looked up briefly from her paperwork as she watched him disappear down the corridor, not sure why she suddenly felt uncomfortable with the idea of going to breakfast. Another yawn escaped her. All she really wanted was to go home, grab a shower and some sleep.

* * *

When Grissom and Sara returned home from breakfast, the minute the front door of their townhouse was closed, Grissom gathered Sara in an embrace and kissed her deeply, unable to wait another second to touch her.

They had worked doubles for most of the week, and on top of that, Nick had been out sick, so it had turned out to be a busy week for all of them. It had come with a huge sense of relief for all them that last night had turned out to be an easy shift.

Sara returned the kiss, but pulled away as Grissom deepened the kiss, his exploring hands making his intentions obvious.

"I'm sorry, Gil, but I'm really tired," Sara replied, stifling a yawn. "A shower and sleep are all I can manage right now."

She broke away from his embrace and he leaned against the door, silently watching her making her way upstairs with hurt in his eyes. He didn't like the thoughts that were suddenly filling his head.

Trying to push his sudden doubts aside, he placed the car keys and his cell phone on the breakfast island before following her upstairs, hoping that he could hide the sudden hurt her rejection had caused.

The shower was running when he entered the bedroom. He shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it aside. With a sigh, he sat on the bed and toed off his shoes and socks. Just as he was about to unbutton his shirt, his cell phone rang from the kitchen.

With a tired sigh, he closed his eyes and hung his head, hoping that this call wouldn't turn into another double shift.

Sara stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror of the bedroom. Her damp hair framed her pale face, limply.

Still watching her reflection with a critical eye, she turned sideways, her hands on her expanding bump. A tired sigh escaped her parted lips and she felt tears prick her eyes.

 _Dammed hormones!_ she thought as she wiped the tears away. Lately it seemed that everything seemed to make her an emotional wreck. She faced the mirror again as the tears continued to fall.

She was still trying to mentally get her head around how fast her body was physically changing, and in just a few short months their baby would be here. Doubts filled her mind once more as she wondered if she'd be a better mother than her own had been to her.

Grissom entered the bedroom, startling her from her reverie. She quickly hid her bump and nakedness with the bath towel, hating the feeling of being exposed and unattractive.

Gathering her clothes in a pile, she hurried to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She left a stunned Grissom standing alone in the bedroom.

"Sara? Honey?"

Grissom's voice came from behind the closed door, sounding concerned. Despite knowing the door was locked, he tried anyway. He leaned his head against the door, and placed a hand flat against the door. "Honey, please open the door," he coaxed. "I want to help with whatever is bothering you."

"I'm okay," Sara lied, her voice muffled as she tried to control her spiraling emotions. "It's just hormones making me feel crazy. I'll be out in a minute."

Attempting to pull herself together, Sara pulled on her sleep tank top and plaid pyjama bottoms. She caught a glance of herself in the bathroom mirror, thinking how unflattering and unattractive she looked, and the tears fell harder.

They hadn't been intimate for the last few weeks, though that had solely been through her choice. As her insecurities over her changing body shape had increased, she'd not pursued him. Deep within her, she knew that Grissom didn't see her as she saw herself now, if anything, he desired her even more, but she couldn't seem to keep the thoughts out of her head.

* * *

Early the next morning, near the end of shift, a few members of the team were gathered in the briefing room, reviewing the evidence they had on a case they were all working on.

"I'm still waiting on fingerprints off the fishing spear," Greg informed Grissom, who was sitting at the head of the table, an open file in front of him.

Grissom nodded.

"As soon as you hear anything from Mandy, let me know. The footprint found at the scene is a size 12 and made from a Dr. Marten work boot."

Through the exchange of evidence, Sara was quiet, concentrating on the paperwork in front of her and the words of her co-workers.

"Blood at the scene confirms multiple donors," Catherine contributed "One was from the vic, Mark Stone, the other from an unknown female. Still waiting for the results from the cabin area."

The review continued for a few minutes more before Grissom leaned back in his chair and removed his glasses. He took a hesitant breath.

"Before you all go, I just want to tell you that for the next two weeks, I'll be leaving Catherine in charge," he said. "I've been called unexpectedly to LA for a consult."

The moment he finished speaking, Sara rose from her chair, took her file with her and left the break room.

Grissom bowed his head with a sigh, his lips in a tight line and his gaze locked on the table. A muscle twitched in his cheek. Everyone looked at each other, feeling uncomfortable. Everyone but Catherine made an excuse and left the room, leaving Grissom alone with his friend.

Catherine watched as Grissom struggled to decide if he should follow Sara or not. It had only taken her about two minutes into shift the previous night to sense the tension between them. She hadn't seen them interact much over the next eight hours, but at the briefing, Sara sat three chairs away from the father of her child.

Sensing Grissom's discomfort, Catherine put her hand on his arm, hoping that she could smooth things over. She knew it wasn't like Sara to storm out of a room and knew that there had to be more to it.

"I take it Sara isn't too happy about your trip to LA, or is there more to it than that?"

Catherine patted his arm, and smiled reassuringly, when Grissom didn't answer.

"I'm going out on a limb here and say its perhaps a little of both," she said. "She's going through a lot of changes right now, both physically and emotionally. Her hormones all are over the place. It's like being on a roller coaster. You're on a high one-minute, the next you're on a low. Sometimes, they can make you feel undesirable and unattractive… she just needs a little reassurance."

"I have work to do," Grissom responded, rising from his chair and gathering up his files The last place he wanted to discuss his relationship with Sara was the briefing room.

"What time is your flight?" Catherine asked, following Grissom as he headed to his office.

"7:30 a.m., why?"

"Because that gives you time to talk to Sara. I'll drop you off at McCarran. It saves you from getting a taxi."

* * *

Two hours later, as Catherine was coming back from the A/V lab, the door to Grissom's office was partly ajar. He was sitting at his desk, deep in thought. His forehead was resting on his hand, his glasses dangled between his fingers.

Alone and unobserved, he didn't have to hide how he was really feeling. The slump of his broad shoulders and the downward turn of his mouth spoke volumes to Catherine. In his own way, Grissom was struggling with with the thought of leaving Sara, especially with the way she was feeling right now.

She took a step towards his office, then hesitated as she had second thoughts. He'd already heard her pep talk and had retreated to his office. There wasn't much else she could say that he would take to heart.

Retracing her steps, she went in search of Sara. Catherine caught up with the younger woman coming from the trace lab. She quickly grabbed Sara's arm and guided her into the layout room.

"Cath, what are you doing?" Sara gasped, doing her best to hide her bump with the file, a familiar gesture over the previous weeks that Catherine didn't miss.

With clarity, everything slipped into place in Catherine's mind.

"I know this is none of my business, but let me finish before you jump down my throat," Catherine started. "You don't need me to tell you that Gil thinks the world of you. And I do understand that there are times when pregnancy can be a big adjustment, with the changes your undergoing and hormones putting you on a roller coaster of emotions. But trust me, it's not going to last forever. Think of the incredible miracle your body is making. Be proud that you're carrying his baby and you're his lady. I know you're going to miss him, and so does he. He's struggling with this, just like you. Do you really want the last few hours you have together to be marred like this? I'm taking him to the airport in half an hour, if you decide you want to come along."

"Catherine, I…" Sara began, then closed her mouth, unable to get the words out.

Catherine put her arm around Sara's shoulders in a sisterly hug.

"I know two weeks seems like a lifetime right now. It will go by fast and you have us to help you through it," Catherine reassured. "Okay?"

She gave Sara's shoulder a reassuring squeeze and smiled when Sara sighed and gave a determined nod.

"That's my girl!"

* * *

Catherine was just about to pull out of the parking lot, Grissom in tow, when she spotted Sara in the rear-view mirror.

"You just made it!" Catherine smiled as Sara eased herself into the backseat of the Denali beside Grissom.

Catherine turned out on the road and began the short trip to McCarran. In the back seat, Sara reached out and entwined her fingers with Grissom's.

"I'm sorry I've been so emotional lately," she whispered.

Grissom squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Honey, you're having our baby," he said, placing his hand on her bump and feeling a strong kick underneath his hand. His smile was proud. "You're allowed to be emotional whenever you want."

They settled into a somewhat comfortable silence as Catherine navigated the traffic around the airport. Once Grissom's luggage was checked in, he turned to face Sara.

"So this is it," Sara said. "You're really going."

Grissom swallowed as he stared into her eyes. He wanted to say so much, but the words kept eluding him. He remembered what Catherine had said about Sara needing reassurance, so he seized on the first thought that came to mind.

"If this consult wasn't so important, I wouldn't be going," he whispered. "I'm going to miss you."

He closed the space between them and hugged her to him.

"I'll miss you both. I'll call you once I reach the hotel," he promised.

He gave her one last squeeze before picking up his briefcase. He leaned in for one last light kiss on the cheek.

"We'll take care of her for you," Catherine promised him as she too hugged him goodbye.

Grissom began to make his way toward the gate, but he hadn't gotten too far before he heard Sara shout his name. He turned quickly and as she embraced him, he dropped his briefcase as his arms wrapped around her tightly, their lips meeting in a fiery kiss.

He poured everything he could into the kiss, trying to convey how much he loved her, desired her… and how much he'd miss her.

His lips moved to that spot behind her ear that made her shiver. Catherine's words once again echoed in his mind with sudden epiphany. Breaking the kiss, his lips brushed against her ear.

"It'll always be you. I love you, honey," he whispered huskily before tearing himself away without a backward glance, knowing that if he did, it would be his undoing.


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N I am overwhelmed by the amount of reviews that I have received for this story. I really can't thank you all enough for taking the time to read and review. Especially as I am so new at writing for CSI. I feel very humbled that you are enjoying my little story. As always, many thanks for piccolina789 for the amazing beta and suggestions for plot bunnies...I hope you like this chapter, i have a feeling you will LOVE the next one!_

* * *

The sun was starting to set as the prison officers watched the prison work crew return to their bus, some looking weary, as if working in the woodland of Mount Charleston was the first manual work they'd ever done.

The head warden of the work force was Kai Peters. He was six-foot-four, his red hair the source of many jokes over the years. He had a reputation for being fair, but could hold his own if pushed too far.

After overseeing the return of the various tools, Kai headed towards the prison transport bus, mentally doing a head count as he approached. One prisoner was missing.

Calmly, not allowing panic to cloud his thoughts until he had reason, his sharp brown eyes scanned the woodland for any sign of orange coveralls. A twig snapped just to the right of where he was looking and a second later, Mike Garrett stepped around the prison bus.

Kai released the breath he hadn't realised he was holding as he marched swiftly over to the prisoner. Experience told him that Garrett would be difficult to handle and so far, the man hadn't disappointed. Kai had had to break up more than once scuffle between Garrett and the other prisoners during the work release.

"Stay right where you are, Garrett," Kai barked as he approached the bus. "Face the bus and raise your arms."

Garrett didn't move, his smirk letting Kai know that he was enjoying winding him up.

" _Now_!" Kai ordered, forcefully turning Garrett to face the bus before quickly patting him down, checking for anything Garrett might have hidden.

Garrett chuckled unpleasantly.

"Be careful… people might think you're falling in love. And I'm not too keen on bacon."

"Don't worry, Princess, you're not my type either, " Kai responded as he turned Garrett to face him. "But unless you want them to think otherwise, I suggest you tell me where you where."

Kai stood his ground as Garrett's body tensed, his cold grey eyes narrowing with hate and his hands curling into fists. Kai knew he was on dangerous ground, but he also knew that he couldn't back down. He had other officers as well as the other prisoners to protect.

From the corner of his eye, Garrett saw the other officers becoming aware of the standoff with Peters. They stepped forward, hands reaching for the butt of their guns. He was outnumbered and even he understood what that meant.

"I was taking a leak," he seethed, unhappy that he'd been outmaneuvred.

Kai sighed, but wouldn't allow himself to relax just yet. Not until they were safely back at the prison. Garrett made him uneasy, and that wasn't a feeling he much cared for.

"Get on the bus," Kai replied, stepping back slightly from Garrett but still keeping eye contact with him.

Garrett's smirk returned, but the cold glint remained in his eyes. He raised a hand slightly as he cocked his finger and thumb toward Kai, as though he was firing a gun.

The prison bus had only been traveling for fifteen minutes along the isolated road from Mount Charleston when the fight broke out. As was usual, Garrett was at the centre of it. As the wardens attempted to bring the fight under control, a loud pop came from the front of the bus and the bus veered sharply as the driver struggled to keep the bus under control. A second pop sent the bus veering crazily, throwing everyone around inside like peas in a can.

Losing control after a violent swerve to the right, the bus went crashing into a tree, flinging the driver violently forward. His head hit the windshield and he slumped over, the weight of his body making the horn blow shrilly.

Stunned, Kai picked himself up off the aisle where he'd been flung. The side of his neck was bleeding and blood stained the collar of his shirt. Around him, the injured moaned in pain. It was clear that some hadn't made it.

Kai turned as the doors of the bus opened and two men wearing combat greens and balaclavas entered the bus, carrying shotguns. After quickly scanning the chaos, they headed purposefully towards Garrett. Kai attempted to stop them, and was rewarded with the butt of the gun smashing into the side of his head. Dazed, he slumped to the floor.

The taller of the two men hauled Garrett, who was somehow unharmed, to his feet.

"You're on borrowed time, I suggest you don't waste it," the man said, hauling Garrett off the bus.

Garrett pulled back slightly as he glanced down at Kai.

"Leave him!" barked the tall masked figure. "Any more delay and this will be a waste of time!"

With a scowl, Garrett turned to his rescuer.

" _I'll_ decide what's a delay, not you, or whoever you're working for."

With an irritated snarl, the leader reached into the back of his trousers and brought out a pistol, shooting Kai in the head.

"Now, move!" he ordered Garrett, his eyes blazing. "Unless you plan on still being here when the cavalry turns up?"

With a wide grin, Garrett happily followed the two men off the crashed bus, heading toward the three off-road bikes that would serve as their getaway vehicles.

* * *

In the break room of the Crime Lab, Catherine watched Sara carefully as she filled in the report she was working on.

"Are you sure you're really going to be okay?" Catherine asked, sounding concerned. "If I'd known a little earlier, that the vic was pregnant – it strikes a little bit too close to home, for both of us."

Catherine paused a beat, and then added, "if you feel you can't work this case, I do understand."

Sara sighed and nodded as she turned to face Catherine, rubbing her hand appreciatively and protectively across her baby bump.

"It's okay," Sara replied with a weak smile, looking down at her bump. "You weren't to know until Doc finished the autopsy. Something like this makes you really appreciate how precious life is. It's made me realise how much I appreciate what Gil and I have. I appreciate what you're saying, but I can work this."

It had been almost two weeks since Grissom left for Los Angeles, and Sara was looking forward to his return the following week.

Catherine smiled reassuringly, patting Sara's arm as she looked at the large bouquet of red roses sitting in a vase on the counter by the sink.

"I'm positive he thinks the very same," Catherine said. "Sometimes he needs a reminder of the good things that are right in front of him. The gifts he's been sending you since he's been away are proof of that. Though he's outdone himself with those roses, I must say!"

Catherine chose not to reveal that once she'd given him enough time to settle into his hotel, she'd rang him and given him an earful, demanding he be more in-tune with what was going on with Sara. She was pleased that he'd seemed to take her words to heart. In his case, absence truly had made his heart grow fonder.

Sara too had benefited from Catherine's guidance. Although there were still times when her insecurities surfaced, she was feeling better. Catherine had taken Sara shopping for new clothes that emphasized the growing bump. Catherine was the perfect shopping partner, picking items that were within Sara's comfort zone.

While shopping, Catherine hinted that when she'd felt a little down while pregnant with Lindsey, she'd dress to lift her mood, which worked more often than not. So far, it seemed that was working for Sara too. Her mood had certainly improved, although Catherine suspected that was mostly due to Grissom's imminent return.

Sara looked up with a smile, just as her cell phone rang.

"Gil! Hey!" Sara's smile grew wider at the sound of his voice. She rose to her feet, glancing at Catherine before heading towards the privacy of Grissom's office.

Catherine smiled as she watched Sara disappear down the corridor as she continued her nightly call with Grissom.

Once in Grissom's office with the door closed behind her, Sara sat in his chair.

"I got the roses, they're beautiful! Thank you."

"My pleasure, honey," Gil's voice spoke softly in her ear. "How are you and Cricket?"

Catherine had given him a lecture he wasn't likely to forget in a hurry, accusing him of sticking his head back into the microscope and not realising how Sara had been feeling before his trip to L.A.

Once he had time to analyze and process what Catherine had told him, he realized with a shock that he had started to take his relationship with Sara for granted. Sara had always been within arms reach, even before their relationship had begun. He was so used to having her so close, he had forgotten how to pay attention to her feelings.

With distance, he'd come to a greater understanding of his feelings for her. He felt the emptiness when she wasn't there. It was a feeling he wasn't in a hurry to repeat.

"We're okay," Sara replied truthfully, her thoughts wandering to the body in autopsy.

"But?" Grissom asked, managing to read between the lines even with the distance between them.

Sara paused slightly before explaining.

"Cath and I are working on a homicide case together," she said. "The victim is a young woman in her mid-twenties… and she was three months pregnant."

"Oh honey," Grissom breathed, his voice filled with concern. "I really wish I could be there for you right now and help you through this."

"I know, honey," Sara reassured him, letting him know that she appreciated his support. "You'll be home next week and…"

"About that…" Grissom cut in with a heavy sigh. "I-I'm afraid I won't be home next week. The consult has been extended for another week. I'm really sorry honey."

From his tone, Sara could tell he was as disappointed as she was at the news. They'd both looked forward to his return to Vegas.

She tried not to let her disappointment show in her voice, but he caught it anyway.

"I'm disappointed too, honey," his voice filled with longing. "I miss you so much."

"I miss you too."

"I love you, Sara," he said with conviction. "And when I'm finished up here, I'll get the first flight out. If possible, I'll meet you at the lab. I want to see you as soon as I possibly can."

They exchanged "I love yous" and ended the call. With a sigh, Sara rose from the chair and headed back to the break room.

"Don't tell me you two had a fight?" Catherine asked when Sara returned to the break room, looking decidedly less chipper than when she left to take Grissom's call.

Sara shook her head.

"We're good," Sara sighed, returning her attention back to the paperwork. "The consult has been extended, so he has to stay another week."

"I'm so sorry, Sara," Catherine commiserated, squeezing Sara's shoulder. "I know how much you were looking forward to him coming home and showing him the progress we've made on the nursery."

Hiding her disappointment, Sara faced Catherine with a smile they both knew was fake.

"It's fine. Really, Cath," Sara responded before turning back to the paperwork. "The nursery will still be there. He'll be back before we know it."

* * *

Brass knocked on Ecklie's door before quickly entering the office.

Ecklie was in the middle of a phone call and turned toward the door, irritated at the interruption.

"We have a problem," Brass said in a serious tone, not waiting for Ecklie to finish his call. "Tell whoever it is you'll call 'em back."

Ecklie was ready with a snarky retort, but the look on Jim's face made him think better of it. He quickly ended his call.

"Where's the fire, Jim?" he asked as he put his phone down.

"Details are still sketchy, but Mike Garrett has escaped from custody."

"How the hell did that happen?" Ecklie demanded.

"He was part of a work release in Mount Charleston. The bus ran into difficulties on the way back to High Desert State Prison in Indian Springs. There are multiple injuries, including both prison officers and inmates. At least three confirmed dead."

"This is all I need!" huffed Ecklie, hands on hips. He bit his lip in thought. "Well, at least there's some good news in all this. Gil's consult has been extended for another week, so we don't have to worry about Garrett following up on his threat against him."

Catherine breezed into the office holding a white form.

"I'm giving Sara three nights off starting tomorrow and I need you to sign it," Catherine thrust the paper under Ecklie's nose. "I know its short notice, but Gil's in L.A. for another week and speaking from experience, spending your anniversary alone sucks."

Ecklie didn't need to think about it for very long. With Garrett on the loose, the best place for both Grissom and Sara was far, far away. He quickly approved the vacation request form.

"Don't you think you should have told her?" Brass questioned when Catherine had left the office. "Sending Sara to L.A. is only part of the solution. Garrett is still on the loose and everyone needs to know about it."

Ecklie tapped his pen on the desk in agitation as he looked worriedly toward Brass.

"I'm hoping that by the time she gets back, Garrett will be back behind bars."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N Another chapter for you all to enjoy! Many thanks again for the amazing reviews. I can't express how much i appreciate them. Many, many thanks as always tp piccolina789 for the outstanding beta. I hope you will LOVE this chapter :D**

* * *

As was tradition, the team met in the parking lot after shift, heading to Frank's Diner for breakfast. Being in the company of her friends made Sara feel significantly less lonely, so she had agreed to every breakfast invitation she had received in the last two weeks.

"We know the last two weeks have been rough and we're poor substitutes for what you really want," Catherine said when their plates were empty. "If Gil can't come to you, we thought we'd do the next best thing."

Catherine pushed the flight reservation she'd printed off towards Sara.

"As of tomorrow, you're off for three days and headed to L.A."

Speechless, Sara could only glance at each of them in turn.

"How?" she squeaked.

Smiling broadly, Catherine explained.

"When I told the guys about Gil having to stay an extra week, we all chipped in and booked you a flight so you could spend the weekend with him. We know how much you were looking forward to him coming home. I lied to Ecklie and told him that it was your anniversary, so he'd approve the request."

"I don't know what to say," Sara said. "Thank you just doesn't seem enough."

"Seeing you this happy is thanks enough," Nick replied, grinning. "I'm sure Griss will appreciate it too."

* * *

Alone in his hotel room, Gil glanced at his watch. It was 9:50 pm. Deciding it was too early to call Sara, he glanced at the TV, which was tuned to the highlights of the game between the Cubs and Giants. He turned back to the file in front of him. He took a sip of whiskey. For once, work was the last thing on his mind as Sara filled his thoughts. He ached to hold her in his arms again, to kiss her, to feel her skin against his, and if she were feeling up to it, to make love to her.

When he heard a knock at his door, his first response was irritation at the interruption, before remembering that he'd ordered room service. But when he opened the door, the face that greeted him was not the one he expected.

"Sara," Grissom whispered in complete surprise.

One second she was at the door, the next she was in his arms as they kissed hungrily.

Her hands were in his hair, her fingers scraping against his scalp. He pulled her close to him, a hand buried in her hair as he returned her kiss desperately. His other arm reached out to shut the door without breaking the kiss.

He backed her towards the wall, kissing any exposed skin he could find as weeks of unfulfilled passion exploded between them.

Their breathing grew ragged as he pressed against her, dimly aware of the growing bump between them. His head dipped as he kissed her neck, his teeth nipping her flesh, and then sucking at the spot before leaving a trail of kisses to the hollow of her throat. Sara gasped as she tilted her head back to allow him better access, his beard scratching her skin.

He spun them around again, backing her toward the bed, both of them somehow managing to shed their clothing without breaking the kiss.

They hadn't been this intimate for several weeks, and as heat continued to build between them, Grissom could feel Sara pulling away, even though her body was still physically close to him. Suddenly, she broke their kiss and took a step back.

Grissom caught the sudden look of doubt cross her face as she looked down at the carpet, hesitantly trying to cover her exposed breasts and stomach.

Patiently, Grissom gently lifted Sara's chin so she was looking at him. He smiled and with great gentleness, he caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"Sara, it's okay. You're beautiful. This," he said, pausing as he rested his hand against her bump. "Is beautiful."

He dropped to his knees as he left a trail of kisses across the baby bump, slowly working his way up until he was standing in front of her again.

His hands framed her face as he stared deeply into her eyes.

"I love you Sara, and I can't wait to become a father."

She bit her bottom lip nervously, but there was no denying the truth of his words, which were reflected in the look in his eyes. Conquering her doubts by concentrating on his words, she boldly stepped forward as she captured his lips once more in a frenzied kiss, as desire for him blossomed deeply inside her, consuming her. She wanted him – _needed_ him – more than the air she breathed.

A moan of desire escaped her throat, as her desire fed his and he deepened the kiss. Her teeth grazed and then tugged at his bottom lip.

Grissom pulled his lips away from Sara's and started to make a trail of kisses from her chin to the valley between her breasts. He teased her nipple with his tongue as his other hand teased the other, before switching sides.

They were both panting as Grissom returned to her mouth, Sara straddling him, impaling herself on his erection. She lowered her body until he was fully sheathed inside her.

Grissom groaned as Sara began moving her hips slightly, still showering him with kisses.

Their bodies moved as one, matching thrust for thrust. For now, their desperate need for each other overpowered everything else.

Sara titled her head back, his name on her lips as she tipped over the edge, her nails digging into Grissom's shoulders. He followed a second later as he emptied himself into her.

Their bodies were slick with sweat, both of them breathing heavily. Grissom swallowed as he tired to catch his breath. He kissed the valley between her breasts.

"God… Sara," he gasped breathlessly.

He closed his eyes and rested his cheek against her breasts, his arms wrapping around her, holding her against him.

She kissed his hair, cradling his head against her chest.

"I could… say the same… about you," she said, equally breathless. From her tone, he could tell she was smiling.

He held her a moment longer, listening to her rapid heartbeat and ragged breathing.

"You look… amazing," he whispered as he kissed her again.

He turned his attention to her growing bump, pressing light, sensual kisses along the taut skin as he worshiped the new life growing inside. Gently, he rested his head against the roundness of her abdomen and grinned when the baby kicked.

Becoming chilled they separated, Sara grabbed the first item of clothing she could reach – Grissom's black polo shirt – and slipped it over her head before joining him in the warmth of the duvet.

Resting her head on his chest, his arms wrapped around her, Sara sighed contentedly. She smiled when he kissed her head.

"I'm glad you're here," he whispered with a contented sigh as he snuggled deeper in the bed, drawing her a little more tightly against him.

For now, their primal desire was satiated. Later, they would make love again, with a little less desperation. But for now, they were content to just to lie there, together, as sleep quickly claimed them.

* * *

Early Monday morning found Grissom and Sara arriving at LAX, ready for Sara's flight back to Vegas. It was a bittersweet moment for both of them, after three loving and blissful days together.

"I can't believe how fast these three days have flown by," Sara lamented, wanting to delay her departure for as long as possible. "I wish you were coming home with me."

Grissom sighed and pulled her into an embrace. He tugged down the silk scarf he'd bought her and nuzzled her neck.

"I wish I was too, honey," he agreed as he pulled back a little to look at her. "I can't wait to see what you and the guys have done with the nursery. When I get back, we'll all go out to dinner."

Sara snuggled deeper into his embrace as they fell silent, reveling in the short time they had left together. Sara smiled when she felt Grissom kiss her hair and felt his arms tighten around her slightly.

When she pulled back slightly to look up at him several minutes later, he was biting his lip, deep in thought. She'd seen that look several times over the weekend, as if he were on the verge of saying something, but would then retreat without saying a word.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked, lightly kissing his cheek, just as the look indicating he'd changed his mind again settled on his handsome face.

"Just thinking about how much I love you," he said with his boyish smile. "But you better go. Your flight boards in twenty minutes."

Sara nodded and hugged him a little tighter, kissing him intensely and parting only when the need for air became too great.

After an exchange of "I love yous" and promising to meet her at the lab if possible, Sara headed toward the security line as Grissom watched her leave, already missing her.

* * *

Later that night in Ecklie's office, Brass shook his head as he paced the floor.

"I was there, remember?" Brass said. "Garrett didn't just threaten Gil, he physically assaulted him. Sara is due back on shift anytime, and she needs to know what she's facing."

Ecklie shook his head in disagreement.

"Believe it or not, I'm looking out for both of them, Jim. While he's in L.A, Gil is safe and to an extent, so is Sara. What do you think Gil would do if he heard about this? I think I know. He'd get the first flight back and place Sara in danger just through his proximity. This way, I can protect them both. I've got Catherine keeping Sara busy in the lab. She's almost six months pregnant, Jim. I don't want to cause her any undue stress that may have a detrimental effect on the pregnancy. Now that Garrett's been sighted, the sheriff has every agency involved in the manhunt. And since she's no longer out in the field, she'll be well protected."

"What about outside the lab? I've dealt with Garrett, and trust me, he's no push over," Brass argued. "I'm assigning Officers, Mitchell, Metcalfe and Clark to discreetly watch out for her. I hope you know what you're doing Conrad, because I sure as hell wouldn't want to be in your shoes if anything happens to her. It's your ass Gil will be gunning for."

* * *

When Catherine walked into the locker room before the start of shift, Sara was already there, looking very relaxed and happy.

"Hey Sara," Catherine greeted her with a beaming smile.

Sara was wearing a peach-colored short-sleeved shirt and black maternity trousers that emphasised her growing baby bump perfectly.

"The weekend in L.A really agreed with you. I love this scarf!" she praised as Sara turned to face Catherine with a beaming smile, as she adjusted the scarf around her throat.

"We had a great time," Sara agreed. "I really can't thank you and the guys enough."

Catherine's sharp eyes caught the top edge of a mark on Sara's neck and her grin widened as her eyebrow rose.

"I guess Gil was _really_ pleased to see you!" she quipped as Sara tried to hide the hickey.

With a wink Catherine added, "That's worth more than any amount of thank yous, for me."

* * *

Toward the end of shift, Sara headed towards the locker room and saw the door to Gil's office was open and the light was on. Knowing that Catherine was finishing up an interview with a suspect, and remembering that she had turned off the light and closed the door, when she'd last spoke to him, Sara head curiously towards the office.

" _Gil_!" She exclaimed in surprise on seeing him standing in his office, reading a report. "I thought you were in L.A. for another few days!"

He grinned in delight on seeing her surprised expression.

"I was supposed to, but when new evidence came to light, it helped things to progress rapidly to the point they didn't need me anymore. So I got the first flight out."

Out of habit, Sara closed and locked the door, making her way to him. He met her halfway, his arms wrapping around her as his lips captured hers in a kiss that took her breath away. Holding her a moment longer, his lips grazed her neck as he released her.

Returning to his desk, he picked up the report he'd been reading when she'd first entered the office. Biting his lip, he glanced at her thoughtfully over the top of his glasses before pursing his lips and turning his attention back to the report.

"Let's get married," he said suddenly, his heart hammering against his ribs. The paper he was holding shook slightly with sudden nerves.

Sara's eyes widened, his statement taking her completely by surprise, and her mouth dropped open in a perfect "O".

She stared at him as he glanced back at her, recognising the expression on his face as the one she'd seen many times over the weekend. She finally recognized it as a look of uncertainty. He had probably debated asking her this important question all weekend, and now that he had, he looked as if he almost expected her to say no.

A smile curled the corners of her mouth, growing into a wide beaming grin, her eyes sparkling with joy.

She closed the gap between them as she give the only answer possible.

" _Yes_! Yes, I'll marry you!"

It was a moment before her answer registered in Grissom's mind, and as a grin formed on his face, she wrapped her arms around his neck, capturing his lips in kiss that made his toes curl and take his breath away.


	18. Chapter 18

_A/N Once more many many thanks for the reviews. I'm glad that so many of you enjoyed the last chapter. Also many thanks to piccolina789 for the beta and encouragement. I'd like to I hope you enjoy this chapter...but I'm leaving that up to you :)_

* * *

Three of the neighbourhood dogs barked as the heat of the desert sun bore down on the baked, dusty ground. Garrett stared out of the window to the house across the dusty road, where the dog's barks had turned to vicious snarls as the heat started to get to them.

Frustration, along with the heat, was starting to wear on Garrett's own nerves, as he impatiently waited for the coolness of night to come and the chance to move around a little more freely. He stared down at the cell phone with a frown. The waiting was making him nervous. It had been several days since he'd escaped from the crashed prison bus on Mount Charleston.

The men hadn't removed their balaclavas and remained unknown to him. He only knew that they had been sent by the cop that was just as determined to see Grissom brought down as much as he was.

Once leaving the bus, they'd travelled to Sandy Valley. Once there, he'd been provided with another off road bike, a backpack containing clothes and instructions on how to find a hidden cell phone. Then, with full throttle and a cloud of dust, the two had sped away.

Once he'd found the phone, although he would never admit it to anyone, he'd felt a little relieved to hear the familiar voice of the mystery cop at the other end. He'd started to regret making the deal when several weeks in prison had passed by without any sign of his opportunity in sight. Then an unexpected visit from a man claiming to be his lawyer had provided the details of how his unexpected release would happen.

The cell phone rang, bringing him out of his thoughts, and he grinned. Finally, some action! This waiting game was worse than being in prison.

"How much longer do you plan on keeping me dangling?" Garrett asked as soon as he picked up the phone. "If this were up to me, Grissom would have been dealt with by now."

"And you would have been straight back to High Desert Prison, quicker than it took to get you out in the first place. You have to trust that I'm doing everything I can to help you."

"I don't trust anyone, much less cops. Like you said, this is business. I _want_ Grissom."

"And you will," the voice promised. "Haven't I proven my word to you? You're out of prison because of me. The manhunt in Blue Diamond was a complete fiasco…"

Garrett snickered, despite himself.

"They couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery," he agreed.

"See, I told you I would look out for you. It's amazing what a little misinformation can do. There was a reason I told you to keep a low profile and to keep moving around. It's time to leave Cold Creek and head to Henderson. There's a safe house on Value Ridge Drive that you can use. Wait for my call."

After giving Garrett the address, the caller hung up.

* * *

Grissom was just coming from his office when he spotted Catherine talking to Officer Akers. Catherine spotted him too and ended her conversation before heading towards him.

"It's good to see you back!" Catherine greeted him, hoping that she had managed to keep the anxiety out of her voice. "Sara left a message saying you were back and not to expect her for breakfast."

Grissom nodded.

"I can't express how much I appreciate how you all supported her while I was away," Grissom acknowledged. He looked at Catherine with a rueful look. "And how much her unexpected visit meant to me."

"Ahh, it was nothin' really. The look on her face when I gave her the tickets was worth it."

It was then that Catherine spotted the gold circle placed on a very important finger on Grissom's left hand, and her mouth dropped open.

"Sara didn't mention this!" Catherine gasped in surprised delight as she grabbed his hand. "When did you get married?"

Grissom grinned as he glanced at the yellow-gold wedding ring, still not quite believing it himself.

"Earlier this morning," Grissom chuckled at Catherine's shocked look. "We didn't see much point in waiting."

"Please don't tell me Elvis married you!"

"No. We got married at The Chapel of the Flowers on South Las Vegas Boulevard. Then we had a little celebratory lunch with my mother."

Catherine smiled up at him, almost proudly, as she hugged him.

"Congratulations, Gil," she said sincerely. "I can't think of two people who deserve each other as much as you and Sara."

Swallowing a sudden lump in his throat, Grissom could only nod. The happiness glinting in his eyes was answer enough.

They headed towards the break room together, where everyone was casually gathered around the table chatting. Sara happened to see Grissom walk in and smiled at her new husband.

"Hey Gris! Welcome back!" Warrick greeted.

"He's not just back he's married!," Catherine jumped in. "They went and got married today!"

"Seriously?" Nick exclaimed with a grin. He looked at both Grissom and Sara before jumping to his feet. He hugged Sara first and then walked over to Grissom, giving him a congratulatory handshake. "Congratulations!"

Sara moved to stand beside Grissom as everyone congratulated them.

"See, Mrs. Grissom, not all traditions are bad!" Greg said as he pulled Sara into a hug, grinning.

"Actually it's still Sidle, at least professionally," she said as Greg released her. "Outside the lab, its Mrs. Grissom."

"Now, we know that you don't really like the fuss, but now that you're married, that means we'll have to have that baby shower!" Catherine insisted. "This time there's no backing out, unless you'd rather have a wedding party."

After all the support the team had given them from the suspension to the unexpected trip to L.A, there was only one way this could go.

Sara sighed, having already discussed it with Grissom.

"We choose the baby shower," smiled Sara. "And thank you."

The congratulations continued until Brass and Ecklie entered the break room, followed closely by the sheriff.

"Gil, when did you get back?" Ecklie asked in surprise, glancing worriedly in Catherine and Brass' direction. "I thought you were staying in L.A?"

"I flew back this morning. We managed to wrap things up early, so I got the first flight back," Grissom explained.

"Much to the delight of Miss Sidle, I'm sure," stated the sheriff. "Who is looking very much refreshed from her unexpected weekend away."

Sara felt Grissom bristle next to her, and she stepped a little closer to her husband, grabbing his hand and squeezing it. She didn't want what remained of their wedding day spoiled by bitter arguing. It was no secret that despite how professional they had remained, the sheriff still didn't approve of their relationship.

Smiling sweetly, she took great pleasure in the look on his face as she announced, "Actually it was a great weekend, and we can't thank our friends enough for their kind generosity in surprising me with the tickets."

She squeezed Gil's hand tighter as her smile grew brighter.

"And as of this morning, it's now Mrs. Grissom," she finished.

Sara enjoyed the shocked look on the sheriff's face more than she expected she would, and Grissom squeezed her hand firmly in approval. With a huff, the sheriff left the break room.

Ecklie and Brass shared a quick glance before Ecklie stepped forward, hand outstretched, with a genuine, but uneasy smile on his face.

"I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, Gil, but I'm really happy for you both. Congratulations!" he said as he shook hands with them both.

"Thanks, Conrad," Grissom beamed.

Ecklie's expression turned serious and he swallowed nervously before he spoke.

"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news and spoil the party, but now that you're back, it has to be said. Mike Garrett has escaped from prison."

Grissom's happy smile faded at the news.

"When did this happen?" he demanded.

Ecklie hesitated briefly.

"Five days ago," he finally answered. "He was part of a work release on Mount Charleston."

Grissom's eyes blazed furiously, his anger increasing.

"You knew about this _five_ days ago, and you didn't think to tell us, Conrad?" he said. "You know about the threats he's made… he's already physically attacked me once! What if he'd gone after Sara?"

"What would you have done if I had told you five days ago?" Conrad argued, his own anger rising.

"I would have caught the first flight back!"

Conrad glanced at Brass.

"Then I'll tell you exactly what I told Jim. The only reason I didn't tell you was because I thought it was the best way to handle it and protect you both. You were supposed to be in L.A. for another week, far away from Garrett, and we kept Sara in the lab for her own safety. Then when Catherine came to me with the vacation form to sign, I saw it as an opportunity. I hoped that by the time Sara was back, Garrett would be back behind bars."

"Well, look how that turned out," Grissom fumed. "You had no right to keep this from us!"

"We thought we had him in Blue Diamond, but it proved to be a false lead. I'm just as unhappy about this as you are, Gil. Jim has officers assigned to Sara for protection."

"We don't mind doing our share," Nick chimed in, the rest of the team agreeing.

"That will only make you targets too," said Grissom, shaking his head. "I appreciate it, but I can't let that happen."

He turned to Ecklie.

"I want to review the evidence and see if I can find something to help catch this son of a bitch."

"You know I can't do that, Gil. It's a conflict of interest. Neither of you can be anywhere near this."

Again, Grissom shook his head in frustration and disgust, knowing that Ecklie was right.

"You should have told us," Grissom repeated.

He turned and left the break room, heading for his office. Brass caught up to him just as Grissom was pulling the department-issued Glock from the top drawer of his desk. Grissom checked the safety before checking the chamber.

"It's good to see that you're taking this seriously," replied Brass. "You have every right to be pissed at Ecklie, but try to understand. Ecklie didn't tell Sara about Garrett because he thought it might cause her extra stress. You were out of town and if anything had happened to her, you would have never forgiven yourself for not being here. Ecklie can be an ass at times, but he made the right call, Gil. He was just watching out for her, just like he's watching out for you now."

Grissom nodded with a sigh, realising that Jim had a point.

"Point taken. And you're driving," said Grissom as he clipped the Glock to his belt.

"Where are we headed?" Jim asked as he fell into step with Grissom, both of them heading to the parking lot.

"Shooting range. It's been a while since I've used this and I might be a little rusty."

* * *

At the shooting range a few hours later, Grissom's expression was determined as he silently watched the paper target come towards him. A satisfied smirk lifted the corner of his mouth briefly. His eyes narrowed slightly, an uncharacteristic cold glint in his blue eyes, as the target showed that he was still a perfect shot.

He heard a tap on the window behind him and turned to see Brass waving him over. Grissom double-checked the safety on his gun, took off his ear protection and joined Brass in the hallway.

"Okay, Gunslinger, a 419 just came in. The address is in Henderson. I'm driving."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the address on Neyland Drive. The scene was a hive of activity. The coroner was already there and several officers were interviewing witnesses. Grissom began to process the scene while Brass gathered more information. Eventually, most of the officers and their vehicles left, leaving only a few officers with Brass as Grissom continued to work.

It didn't take long for Grissom to realise that he was going to be there most of the shift. He took out his cell phone and called Sara. After a few minutes of conversation, he ended the call and got to work.

* * *

"Sara, have you seen Gil?" Ecklie asked some four hours later.

Sara was in Grissom office feeding Stevie, Grissom's tarantula, some crickets.

"He's still in the field. He said he could be a while," Sara explained as she fastened the lid on the spider's cage.

Ecklie cursed quietly.

"Anything I can help you with?" Sara added.

Ecklie sighed and ran his hand through his remaining hair.

"A call just came in, in Henderson, and everyone else is out on cases. When I saw the light on in here, I though Gil was back."

"I'll do it," Sara replied, quickly walking around the desk to meet Conrad by the door.

Ecklie shook his head.

"Sorry Sara, but you're confined to the lab. With the way things stand with Garrett right now, I have to say no way. Gil's already got my ass in the fire."

"Conrad, I'll tell you exactly what I tell Gil, I'm pregnant – not ill. Until Garrett escaped, I worked in the field just fine. I can do this, and like you said, there's no one else available."

Ecklie sighed as he thought it over. Finally, he nodded.

"All right, but you take at least one officer with you. Call me when you get there, and then every hour after that. And understand that you're only going because there's no one else. This doesn't mean you're back in the field on a regular basis."

Sara smiled. "Understood, Conrad."

"The address is on Value Ridge Drive."

* * *

It was almost the end of shift and the sun was just starting to rise when Grissom finally finished processing his crime scene.

He gathered the last of the evidence he'd collected and as he was heading towards the Tahoe, he realised that he hadn't checked in with Sara for a while.

He pulled out his phone as Jim met him by the Tahoe. Just as Grissom dialed Sara's number, two cars with black out windows screeched around the corner. The loud pop of gunfire disturbed the early morning silence. Jim barely had time to pull Grissom out of the line of fire before a spray of bullets peppered the lawn where they'd stood only seconds before.

A series of metallic twangs rocked the Tahoe as a rain of bullets hit the truck. One of the bullets hit a tire and there was a hiss of escaping air.

Brass, still ducked down with his arm around Grissom's shoulders, frantically called it in as the two cars sped down the road and turned sharply around the corner.

"Are you hurt?" Brass asked Grissom once the shooting had stopped.

Grissom's face was pale with shock and fright as he shook his head.

"I need to get back to the lab and make sure Sara's okay."

"Officers Metcalf and Stone will take you," Brass said as he beckoned the two officers over. He turned to face them. "Get him to the lab as quickly as you can. Don't stop for anything."

He turned back to Gil.

"You stay at the lab. Neither you or Sara can leave until I get back."

* * *

Grissom was met by Ecklie the second he returned to the lab.

"Jim told me what happened, are you alright?" Ecklie asked.

Still shaken by what had happened, Grissom managed to nod.

"I need to speak to Sara. l tried to call her, but she's not answering."

Ecklie glanced at his watch, a look of alarm suddenly appearing on his face.

"What is it?" Grissom asked, a feeling of dread sweeping over him. "Where's Sara?"

"She's out in the field," Ecklie admitted reluctantly. "She was supposed to call me every hour. I haven't heard from her in at least an hour and a half."

Grissom's eyes flashed angrily.

"She's supposed to be in the lab, Conrad, until that son of a bitch is caught!" Grissom exploded. "You said it yourself!"

"Everyone was tied up with cases and Sara offered to go. She has several officers with her."

Grissom glared at Ecklie, swallowing apprehensively. He took out his phone and dialled Sara's number. It rang to voicemail.

"That really doesn't reassure me, Conrad," Grissom said, his voice shaking slightly.

He tried calling Sara's number once more.

"Come on Sara, pick up!" Grissom muttered, the feeling of dread mounting with each second as he willed her to answer the phone. He sighed anxiously as once more it rang to voicemail.

He dialled again.

"Pick up Sara, please pick up, honey. Please pick up..."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N Once again many thanks for the reviews. They are always very much appreciated. I know you are all anxious about what may have happened to Sara. Please bear with me, you will get the answers soon. :) I know a few of you have questions about Ecklie. I'll let you decide if he's proven his guilt or innocence, in this chapter. Many thanks to piccolina789 for the fantastic job of beta.**

* * *

With each attempt to reach Sara, Grissom's concern grew. Meanwhile, Ecklie called Catherine's cell phone. It was answered on the third ring.

"Catherine, I've no time to explain," Conrad said in a business-like tone. "We think Sara's been abducted. I need everyone back at the lab ASAP. This is a priority case."

Ecklie turned to face Grissom, who sucked in a jagged breath, biting his bottom lip as anxiety carved his face.

"We're going to find her, Gil," Ecklie tried to reassure the older man. "In the meantime, I'm going to make arrangements for you to be moved to a safe house in Summerlin."

Grissom glared at Ecklie, despite the anxiety he felt.

"She was confined to the lab for a reason! You should never have sent her out into the field!" he exploded, the veins in his neck standing out as he continued to breathe heavily. "Anyone else could have processed that crime scene."

"I'm sorry this has happened Gil, and I'm not making any excuses. She wanted to go, and I thought she'd be safe with a few officers. I never expected any of this to happen."

"I'm heading to her last known location…"

Ecklie grabbed Grissom's arm.

"You're not going anywhere, Gil," stated Ecklie, with authority in his tone. "Looking for Garrett in the state you're in will only make things worse."

Grissom pulled his arm back just as Brass entered the corridor. Grissom's eyes blazed furiously.

" _How_ much worse can things get?" he growled. "She's pregnant and in the hands of a madman! I'm not sitting on the sidelines while my wife's safety is on the line!"

Grissom started down the hallway, followed closely by both Brass and Ecklie.

"Gil, we're all worried about Sara, and we understand that you want to help," Jim tried to reassure him calmly as he continued to follow Grissom down the corridor. "Let's just take a few minutes to talk this through and come up with a way to help Sara. Maybe we can come up with a way you can help, but leaving the lab is not an option."

Grissom paused outside one of the interrogation rooms.

"Talking is not going to help Sara!"

"Neither is going to the crime scene," stated Ecklie, realising the bad choice of words as Grissom's breath hitched. "You're too closely involved in this, Gil. Catherine and the rest of the team are going to be on this until we find her."

"She's my _wife_ , Conrad!" Grissom's eyes flashed with a fury rarely seen. "And I'm going to do everything I can to find her!"

He moved as if to step around both Brass and Ecklie, as Officer Mitchell and a rookie cop headed towards them from the opposite direction. Before anyone knew what was happening, Ecklie grabbed the rookie's handcuffs and fastened them quickly around Grissom's wrists. Grissom was so surprised that Ecklie was able to easily steer him into the interrogation room.

Grissom looked down at his shackled wrists, his shock at the turn of events briefly overshadowing his fear for Sara.

"You're arresting me?" he asked, eyes narrowing slightly. "On what charge?"

"I'll think of something," Ecklie responded as he turned his attention to Mitch. "Stay with him and don't allow him to leave unless you hear directly from myself or Captain Brass."

Mitch glanced at Brass, who confirmed Ecklie's orders with a nod. They both turned to leave the room, with Grissom attempting to follow, but he was barred by Mitch.

"I can't believe you're really doing this, Conrad," Grissom said around Mitch's shoulder. "If anything - _anything_ \- happens to Sara, it's on you!"

Brass and Eckile disappeared down the corridor as Mitch gave Grissom an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry Dr. Grissom," Mitch said quietly. "But I can't let you leave."

* * *

"Don't you think handcuffing him was a _little_ extreme?" Brass asked as the two men headed toward Ecklie's office.

Ecklie sighed as a hand roved over his head.

"It was the only thing I could think of that would stop him," Ecklie explained. "He's right about one thing; I should never have agreed to let Sara head to that crime scene."

Ecklie collapsed in his chair when they reached his office. He took a deep breath and shook his head.

"This whole situation is a mess," he continued. "I should have put them in a safe house as soon as we heard about Garrett's escape."

"Beating yourself up is not going to change anything," Brass countered. "No one could have predicted Garrett's escape. I've seen his sheet, he has the luck of the devil."

As if on cue, Catherine, Greg, Nick and Warrick filed into the office.

"What's this about Sara going missing?" Nick demanded. "What about Grissom? Is he okay?"

Ecklie rose to his feet and quickly explained what had happened. All four faces quickly paled upon hearing the close call their friend and boss had.

"He's shaken, but unharmed," Ecklie reassured them.

"So what are we doing to find Sara? Is Grissom at the scene?" Nick wanted to know.

Ecklie shook his head.

"Gil can't be anywhere near this, he's too emotionally involved. He's in an interrogation room and will stay there until we have something solid on Sara."

Ecklie turned to Nick, Warrick and Greg.

"I want you three to head to the scene Sara was working on and see what you can find. Catherine and Jim, get to the A/V lab, see if you can access the dashboard camera from Sara's car. We might get lucky."

"I think, under the circumstances, we'd be wise to forgo the missing-for-24-hours rule," Brass joined in. "We need to put up a missing person alert on TV. This guy is dangerous, and Sara's safety has to be the focus point. I've already re-issued an APB on Garrett."

Brass turned to face Ecklie.

"I'll leave it to you, to inform the sheriff."

"Before we do anything, I'm going to see Grissom," stated Nick.

Nick knew exactly how Grissom must be feeling. If not for Grissom and the rest of the team, he knew he wouldn't have been standing there. He owed Grissom his life. Before anyone could stop him, Nick was out of the door.

* * *

Ecklie, Brass and Catherine were in the A/V lab with Archie, reviewing the footage from the camera in Sara's car, when Nick burst into the lab.

"Why have you arrested Grissom?" Nick demanded furiously, glaring at Brass and Ecklie. "Sara's missing and you're treating him like a goddamned suspect!"

His Texan drawl was more pronounced in his anger.

"He hasn't been arrested, Nick," Ecklie attempted to explain. "At the time, it was the best way to keep him in the lab."

Nick shook his head, his eyes blazing.

"That's nothing but BS and you know it!" Nick exploded. "You can't really expect him to sit on the sidelines on something like this! I thought when you suspended them, you couldn't strike any lower. I guess I was wrong."

"That's enough, Nicky!" Catherine intervened. "I know you're upset, we all are, but this is not going to help Sara or Gil. The best thing you can do is meet Greg and Warrick at Sara's scene and report anything you find."

Nick took a deep breath and walked out of the lab, followed by Catherine.

"How's he holding up?" she asked once they were out of earshot of Brass and Ecklie.

Nick shook his head, biting his lip.

"You know Grissom. Usually, he never lets anything get to him. But this… he's only just holding on Cath. If anything happens to Sara or the baby…"

Nick tailed off, his stomach turning sickeningly at the thought.

"Don't even go there, Nicky," Catherine said, rubbing his arm, her voice wavering slightly. "We've got to be strong for Gil and think positive. We're going to find her."

Nick nodded, wanting to hold onto the thought that Sara would be found safe and well.

"Not a great start to their marriage is it?" he asked bleakly.

Cath tried to offer a reassuring smile.

"After this, it can only get better, Nicky."

* * *

Catherine returned to the A/V lab to check in with Archie. When he told her there was still nothing new, she headed to the integration room where Gil sat waiting anxiously for news.

He was playing with his wedding ring when she entered and the haunted look in his eyes when he looked up tugged at her heart.

"Is there any news?" he asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry, Gil," Catherine replied sadly, sitting down next to him. "But it's all hands on deck, I promise. We're checking the dash camera in Sara's car. We're hopeful that it will at least give us the direction Garrett may have taken her."

Grissom nodded slightly, sucking in his bottom lip as he shoulders sagged a little more. His breath was jagged, as he attempted to control his rising fears for his wife and unborn child.

He fixed his gaze on the table, battling to keep his whirling emotions in check, as he played with the yellow-gold band on his finger. It was hard to believe that almost twenty-four hours ago, they'd been happy and looking forward to the birth of their first child. They had been blissfully unaware of the fear the future held in store.

There was a time when he'd feared that Sara would eventually resent the age difference between them, and he'd lose her to a man closer to her own age. Now, he was facing that fear in a way he never expected. And it could cost Sara her life, as well as the life of their unborn child.

Catherine put her hand on his arm, watching him closely.

"How are you holding up?"

It was a moment before he could answer.

"I-I've… been better," he managed.

He bit his lip, desperately trying not to break down in front of her. His chin trembled slightly and Catherine watched helplessly as Grissom, who was usually Mr. Stoic, tried in vain not to fall apart.

"I-I-I… I can't…" Grissom stammered.

He paused to dip his head, struggling to cope with the myriad of emotions sweeping over him. His breath hitched.

"I can't lose them, Catherine," he whispered, his voice tortured. "I can't just... _sit_ … and do nothing…"

He gulped in a hitching breath, just barely holding back the sob that wanted to escape his throat. He shook his head, and when he spoke again, his voice tore Catherine's heart in two.

"If things…if things go badly… I-I-I want to look back… and-and know that I did everything I could… not just sit by… and-and do nothing!"

He drew in a huge breath, his eyes closing as the dam finally broke.

Catherine grasped his hands in hers as he sobbed quietly beside her.

* * *

"Conrad, you can't expect Gil to remain sidelined on this," Catherine said when she returned to the A/V lab fifteen minutes later. "He needs something to focus on, other than the four walls around him."

"Catherine," Ecklie began with a tired sigh, but Catherine cut him off.

"Have you seen him since you left him there?" she demanded. "I have! And this is killing him! This isn't just any case, Conrad. If this turns out badly, he's never going to forgive himself for not doing everything he could. I don't think he'd ever get over it."

Brass' phone rang as Ecklie sighed and looked at the floor deep in thought. As Ecklie raised his head and glanced at Catherine, Brass jumped in.

"That was Nick. Two of the officers are dead," he said. "A gun is missing, along with a pair of handcuffs. Sara's car was last seen heading toward Industrial. We already know Garrett is dangerous, but now he's armed."

Ecklie turned back to face Catherine.

"Okay, Gil can help wade through the evidence as it comes in. But make it clear that he doesn't leave the lab."

Catherine nodded with a smile of gratitude as she quickly headed back to the interrogation room.

"Gil! We have some news!" she said, as she opened the door.

But besides for Grissom's cell phone, lying on the table, the room was empty. Grissom had gone.


	20. Chapter 20

_A/N I can not express enough thanks and appreciation for your continued interest and reviews of this story. It certainly wouldn't have been possible without the continued support from my beta piccolina789, who I think is doing a remarkable job, and has my heartfelt thanks. :D_

* * *

Trying not to jump to the obvious assumption, Catherine grabbed Grissom's cell phone, and accosted the first male officer to check the men's restroom. It could simply be that Mitch had taken Gil for a bathroom break. The officer returned barely five minutes later, shaking his head.

Archie was still working on trying to clear up the quality of the dash cam footage from Sara's car. Ecklie and Brass were stood behind him, watching the blurry image on the big screen, with their arms folded.

"What is that?" asked Brass tilting his head at an angle as he tried to figure out the image on the screen.

Archie managed to clear up the image marginally.

"Looks like a crack…possibly a stray bullet hit the windshield and damaged the dash cam in the process."

Ecklie and Brass turned as Catherine burst back into the lab.

"We have a big problem," she announced holding up Grissom's cell phone. "Gil's gone missing, and he's left this behind. I told you, that he needed something to focus on," she said desperately. "Now we have no idea where he is, and Sara is still missing!"

Ecklie shook his head in frustration. This was turning into a day from hell, and this was the last thing he needed. Then reminded himself that it wasn't exactly a bed of roses, for Gil and Sara, either.

Ecklie rubbed his forehead, failing to rub away the building headache.

"How long before we can get anything useful from Sara's dash cam?" Ecklie wanted to know.

Archie glanced at the main screen as he typed away at the keyboard.

"The footage isn't the best quality, so it's hard to say. Could be a couple of hours."

"We don't _have_ hours!" Catherine insisted. "Anything could happen to them in that time!"

"Try bringing up the footage from the cameras covering the exits and the car park," Brass suggested.

As Archie complied with the request, he casually said, " Just a thought, but why would Grissom leave his cell phone behind? He'd have to know that it would be the only way to contact him when Sara's found…unless there was a reason, he didn't want to be contacted."

Ecklie considered what Archie had said for a moment.

"Bring up the footage from Interrogation Room 2."

Curiously Archie did as he was asked and a video of a handcuffed Grissom paced the room, agitatedly. Ecklie quickly fast-forwarded the video, until Catherine appeared in the footage. He skipped ahead a little further before pressing play.

 _Catherine rose to her feet, giving Grissom a brief hug. She whispered something into his ear, as she squeezed his shoulders reassuringly, and he nodded, before bowing his head._

 _She'd only left a minute or two when Grissom's phone rang and he quickly answered it. "Sara!" he said without checking the caller ID, his voice filled with hope._

 _His body tensed and his voice dripped with hate. "_ Garrett, you son of a bitch! _Where's Sara?"_

 _Grissom leapt to his feet, the phone held firmly against his ear as he listened to Garrett, his fury increasing._

" _If you've hurt her, you son of a bitch!..." Grissom snarled viciously, his tension increasing as he continued to listen to Garrett._

 _Grissom shook his head. "Not until I talk to her!" he demanded, as he continued his anxious pacing. "I'm not doing anything until I've talked to her!"_

 _Grissom paused. "Sara! Sweetheart are you okay?" his voice was flooded with relief. "I'm going to do everything I can to get you out of there. Sara!" he's voice filled with panic. "_ Sara!"

 _Fury and anxiety fought for dominance on his face as he once again listened to Garrett's instructions. When he spoke his voice cracked. "Just don't hurt her, " he said fearfully. "I'll be alone, just please…. don't hurt her."_

 _The call ended and Grissom bowed his head, his shoulders sagging, as he covered his face with his handcuffed hands._

 _He sighed jaggedly and looked at Mitch frantically as he put the phone on the table._

" _Mitch, I need you to let me out of here, Sara's and our child's life, depend on it. He's already killed two officers," Grissom's voice was edged with panic. "I have no doubts that he'll carry out his threat."_

 _Grissom held out his handcuffed wrists._

" _I have to save them, Mitch," Grissom's voice quivered, and he visibly tried to pull himself together. "I couldn't live with myself, knowing that I didn't do everything I could to save them."_

 _After a pause, Mitch stepped forwards and unlocked the handcuffs._

Catherine picked up Grissom's phone, as Ecklie stopped the video.

"That's why Gil left his phone behind," Catherine grinned "He knew we'd be able to track Garrett if he tried to use it again."

She quickly accessed the last number called and found Garrett's number, quickly giving it to Archie.

"See if you can pull up the records for that number," ordered Brass as Archie set up a trace. "Maybe we can find a few useful contacts. I don't think he's working alone; he's getting help from somewhere. He's getting cocky. He's always been two steps ahead of us, until now."

"Sure thing," replied Archie eagerly as he set to work, glancing briefly at the main screen again for progress on the dash cam footage. It was still too blurry for anything to make sense. With a sigh, Archie set to work on Garrett's phone number with Catherine's help.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Catherine entered Ecklie's office, holding a piece of paper, looking excited.

"We've pulled Garrett's phone call history and the same number keeps showing up over time. Some days, it's more than once. Archie is setting up a trace, in case they decide to make a call. He thought he'd try accessing Gil's dash cam, but he disabled it, as well as the GPS. Right now, all we have to go on is the footage from Sara's car. From Industrial they could have headed in any direction. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"All we can do, is hope that we get a hit on that new phone number. Keep working on clearing the image on the dash cam," Ecklie encouraged. "Let me know if anything changes."

"Is this true?" the sheriff asked, looking flustered as he hurried into Ecklie's office some fifteen minutes after Catherine had left. "I've just watched the missing person alert for Sara Sid…Sara Grissom."

Ecklie looked up from the report he was reading.

"Yes, it's true. Garrett took her from the crime scene she was working at, after killing the two officers that were with her."

"Are you sure this Garrett has taken her?" Rory asked sounding worried.

Ecklie nodded.

"He's following through on his threat towards Gil a few weeks back. Sara hasn't been answering her phone, and we have no idea where he's taken her. I just hope this doesn't end as badly as my gut tells me it is. If anything happens to Sara and the baby…" Ecklie's voice trailed off as he looked down as his desk, with a slight shake of his head.

"I'm due in a meeting," the sheriff replied, glancing at his watch. "But I want to be kept updated on everything that's going on. And I hope for everyone involved that your gut is wrong."

Ecklie nodded as he returned back to the report he was reading. Hoping that they'd finally get a break, and receive some good news.

* * *

Catherine glanced at the main screen. The image was still blurry, but much better than had been.

"What is that?" she asked as she pointed to a shape to the left of the screen, obscured by the crack in the windshield. "Looks like a road marker, maybe?"

Archie quickly tapped away on the keyboard and a road sign appeared, announcing _US-93 South._

"I think I know which way they were headed," Archie announced, with a smile as the trace for the number that had called Garrett, alerted them.

"We've got a hit!" Archie exclaimed excitedly. Then his face dropped. "According to this, it's coming from _inside_ the lab." He looked up with a puzzled look on his face as he glanced at Catherine and Brass. "Garrett's getting inside help?"

Brass and Catherine quickly glanced at each other, their fear mounting for Gil and Sara.

"Where's the call coming from?" Catherine wanted to know, a hard edge to her tone.

"An office on the second floor."

Jim turned to Catherine.

"Stay here and see if the signal moves or stops. Contact me by phone. I'm going to find Ecklie."

* * *

In the dimly lit office on the second floor the figure paced nervously.

"Come on, you son of a bitch, pick up!"

Finally on the third ring, the call was answered.

"What the hell have you done, Garrett! Taking Sara Sidle wasn't part of the deal!"

"You broke the deal first!" Garrett hissed furiously. "By setting me up in that so-called safe house! The cops were crawling all over the house next door and so was that bitch! You took too long in delivering Grissom and I got tired of waiting. I saw an opportunity and took it. And it certainly got that son of a bitch's attention!"

"The deal was all about Grissom, and Sara _wasn't_ part of it! If you've hurt her..."

"You'll what! You're not running this anymore! _I am_! The deal's changed, and I'll get Grissom _my_ way!"

"You do this, and you're on your own, I won't protect you, Garrett!"

The line went dead.

" _Damn it_!"

The door burst open unexpectedly as he turned to face the startled faces of Brass, gun drawn and Ecklie framed in the doorway.

"What the _hell_ have you done, Rory!" Ecklie demanded furiously as he grabbed the sheriff by the shirt front and threw him, savagely against the wall, his eyes blazing.

"I have no idea what you're talking about! Now get your hands off of me!" the sheriff bluffed.

Brass' eyes quickly checked the room, making sure that no one else was in the room. Apart from the sheriff they were the only people there.

Keeping his gun trained on Dunbar, Brass placed his cell phone up to his ear. When Catherine picked up she confirmed that the signal had stopped, just before they'd burst in. There was no doubt that Rory Dunbar was their man.

Ecklie's eyes blazed as he stared at the sheriff. His hands gripping the shirt more tightly.

"Where has Garrett taken Sara!" he demanded, his face inches from Dunbar's.

Dunbar shook his head.

"I don't know!" he said shaking his head. "He wouldn't say…"

Ecklie pushed Dunbar harder against the wall, furiously.

"If Garrett's hurt Sara or that unborn baby, I will personally nail your ass to the wall along with his!" Ecklie vowed, venomously. "That's if Gil doesn't get you first!"


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N Sorry for the delay on this chapter. life got a little complicated for awhile. As always, man many thanks for the truly amazing reviews. And many many thanks to piccolina789 for the fantastic beta, and encouragement. This journey wouldn't have possible without your continued support. :D**

* * *

Sara tried to shift into a more comfortable position, which was difficult due to the way her hands were handcuffed together above her head.

After sitting in the same position for hours, her knees were becoming numb and her arms and shoulders were starting to ache. By now, she knew that Gil would know she was missing and would be frantically trying to find her. Her heart ached at the thought of causing him such heartache. She should never have talked Ecklie into allowing her to process the crime scene. If she hadn't, she wouldn't now be the pawn in the demise of the man she loved with all her heart.

Her head throbbed in time with the ache in her cheek where Garrett had struck her. She could still taste the blood in her mouth from her torn lip when he'd slapped her hard across the face. Added to her growing discomfort was the feeling of nausea as hunger gnawed at her stomach. It had been several hours since she'd last eaten and her concerns for the baby were increasing as the hours of her captivity passed by.

Not for the first time, Sara tugged uselessly at the restraints on her wrists as her frustration grew. Her vain attempts to free herself increased as she heard Garrett's footsteps approach from the corridor outside of the office he was holding her in.

She tensed as Garrett entered the office, his smile chilling her, as she struggled against the handcuffs again.

He knelt down so he could face her. He reached out and caressed her bruised cheek. Sara pulled back, defiance blazing in her eyes. Garrett, his smile turning colder, grabbed her hair and pulled it viciously, yanking her head painfully. His grin widened and his eyes sparkled as she cried out.

"Why make it so much harder on yourself, bitch?" Garrett said, still grasping a handful of her hair. "If you make me angry and I have to punish you again, by the time Lover Boy gets here, you'll be barely recognizable. And then I'll have to think about how much more he'll have to suffer before you watch him die. How he dies is up to you; slow and painful or quick and _almost_ painless."

With another painful yank of her head, he released her before roughly tying a gag around her mouth. He pinched her bruised cheek, hard, enjoying the look of pain in her eyes.

"I want no heroics or attempts to warn him. Otherwise..." he tailed off, his cold eyes shifting to her bump and the cold smile faded, sending a chill down Sara's spine. Garrett's implication was clear.

Rising to his feet, he left the room, leaving her alone once more.

* * *

Grissom stared tensely at the road ahead, gripping the steering wheel so tightly, his knuckles were white. As he approached the street he was to turn on, he flicked on the red and blue lights on top of the police car, but didn't bother to hit his turn signal. Several car horns blared, in irritation, but Grissom ignored them.

A knot of nauseated fear sat in the pit of his stomach as he pressed the accelerator harder, making the police-issued Tahoe's engine growl and leap forward. Sweat beaded his forehead, his breathing jagged, as his apprehension for Sara's safety increased by the second. He glanced briefly at the rear view mirror, swallowing his nervous tension and blowing out a relieved, shaky sigh that he wasn't being followed.

Sweat dripped into his eyes. With a trembling hand and an irritated hiss, he wiped it away. His eye caught the yellow-gold band around his finger and his grip tightened around the steering wheel. He stepped harder on the accelerator, pushing the Tahoe to its limits, as the arid and desolate desert landscape passed by in a blur.

He glanced nervously out the corner of his eye at Mitch, who was sitting in the passenger seat, clinging on for dear life to the dashboard. Mitch had always had a soft spot for Sara, which had only increased the day that Mike Garrett had literally barreled into their lives. Back in the interrogation room, Mitch had agreed to let Grissom go, on the condition that he didn't chase after Garrett alone. So there they were, the two of them, driving toward the unknown.

"If this doesn't work out..." Grissom began.

"It will, Dr. Grissom," Mitch said, turning to face Gil. "You have to trust me. I've dealt with Garrett in the past. I couldn't let you face this alone, without some kind of backup. I'm sorry this has happened to you and Sara, you don't deserve any of it."

* * *

Catherine looked up as Ecklie and Brass returned to the A/V lab, once again looking over the dash cam footage. They didn't seem to have any more developments.

"Well? Who was the inside man?" Catherine demanded.

"It was the sheriff and he's not talking."

Catherine's face showed her shock, but her expression quickly changed to determination.

"Where is he?" she wanted to know as she headed toward the door. "Garrett is going to kill them both!"

Brass shook his head as he grabbed Catherine by the arm, stopping her from leaving.

"He's not going to cooperate," he replied quietly. "We have to stick together and figure this out. We know Garrett took US-93 South. If we concentrate our search efforts towards Boulder City, we'll be a little closer to finding them."

Brass released her arm.

"Right now, Gil and Sara have to be our main priority, finding them safe and unharmed. As much as I hate to say this, Rory Dunbar is the least of our worries, just now."

Catherine took a moment to think over what Jim had said. She nodded, realizing he was right. Their main concern _had_ to be Gil and Sara.

"Wait a minute," Archie broke in, typing furiously on his keyboard.

The footage on the main screen changed to a map with a pulsing red circle hovering over a spot just to the top of the screen. Archie turned to face the three of them.

"That's the GPS signal in Officer Mitchell's phone. It just came online and it's coming from just outside of Nelson in Searchlight. The only thing out there is an abandoned mine."

Brass wasted no time in reaching for his radio.

"Dispatch, this is Captain Brass, I need back up and EMT's to Eldorado Canyon, _ASAP_."

Brass hesitated a moment as he glanced at each of them in turn. Brass' own concern for their friends was mirrored on each of their pale faces. Catherine gave a little reassuring nod as Brass turned and quickly headed out the door.

They each couldn't help but wonder, would they make it in time?

* * *

Arriving at the mine, Grissom pulled up next to Sara's Tahoe. He jumped out of the car with his gun drawn, cautiously approaching the vehicle. It was empty, and he noted that the windshield was cracked.

Grissom glanced around at the scattered, wooden-panelled buildings that were nestled in a valley surrounded on three sides by mountains. The place was isolated and desolate, despite being only a forty-five minute drive from Las Vegas.

Garrett had picked the perfect spot. Grissom had no doubt that if things went wrong, his and Sara's bodies wouldn't be discovered for weeks, if ever. His grip tightened on his gun. He only hoped that Sara and their unborn baby would stand a better chance of surviving this than he did.

"We need to split up," Mitch advised in an urgent whisper, as he glanced around at the numerous buildings. "It's the best chance we have of finding Sara."

He reached into the back pocket of his trousers, passing Grissom a walkie talkie.

"Since you left your phone behind, this is the next best thing to stay in contact."

Mitch paused and then gave a brief nod in the direction of the three storage sheds.

"Best of luck, Dr. Grissom."

Grissom nodded back and Mitch set off quickly to the left, his gun raised in readiness. When he reached the first storage shed, he paused and looked back to check Grissom's position. The two men nodded at each other once more.

Stealthily, Grissom headed toward the second largest wooden building. Its red paint had faded and peeled over the years. On the top floor were several broken windows and one frame hung askew, the panes of glass long gone.

Grissom stopped in front of the first door he came to, which sported a new padlock. Garrett had clearly been prepared. The second door he found was locked too, but Grissom had better luck with the third door. After checking over his shoulder to make sure the area was clear, Grissom stepped into the unknown.

* * *

From the outside, the building looked small, but once Grissom stepped inside, the space was large. The ground floor was covered in debris and litter that had collected over the years.

Some of the flooring looked unsound and dangerous. Somewhere in front of him, something dropped with a heavy thud, startling Grissom and making his heart rate soar. Sweat beaded his forehead, and glistened on his top lip.

Making his way through the ground floor, navigating around debris, he found a set of stairs to his right. He cautiously made his way upstairs, his gun at the ready.

A gunshot echoed from outside and Grissom froze, holding his breath and pressing his body instinctively against the wall. He peered out the broken window, but could see nothing amiss. He paused to catch his breath before raising the walkie talkie to his mouth.

"Mitch?" he asked in a low voice.

He listened to static for a few seconds before trying again, hoping that Mitch would answer. But the heavy feeling of dread in his stomach was the only answer he received. He closed his eyes for a second, before trying to reach Mitch one more time. Once more, he was only answered with static.

Time was running out. Grissom was sure that Garrett knew he hadn't come alone and things would only get worse if he couldn't find Sara in time.

Grissom checked every room on the second floor. Finding all of them empty, he crept up another staircase. He was just about to check the sixth room on the third floor when he heard a noise coming from the door to his left.

Grissom carefully made his way over to the door, trying to calm his ragged breathing, his pulse racing. He pressed an ear to the door and the sound came again. It was the sound of metal scraping against metal.

With a deep breath, he grasped the handle and gently eased the door open.

Relief washed over him as he saw Sara, tugging uselessly at the handcuffs that bound her arms above her head. Throwing caution to the wind, he rushed to her side, wincing at the sight of her badly bruised cheekbone and eye and her torn and bloody lip.

Tears of relief welled in Sara's eyes at the sight of him.

"Thank God you're okay," he said, putting the Glock on the floor and kneeling next to Sara. "It's okay, sweetheart."

His breath hitched slightly as he gently pulled the gag from her mouth with trembling hands.

"I'm going to get you out of here, and then take care of Garrett."

"Gil," she breathed, her voice sounding hoarse after he removed the gag. "Garrett could come back any second and he's armed. He's vowed to kill you, be careful."

Seeing the worry and trepidation in her eyes, Grissom swallowed back his own misgivings. Despite the urgency, he reached out and gently brushed his fingers over her bruised cheek before leaning forward slightly and kissing her forehead.

When Mitch had un-cuffed Grissom in the interrogation room, Grissom had pocketed the keys. Thank God he did. He fumbled around in his pocket for them, anxious to get Sara to safety.

In his haste, he dropped the keys and as he reached over to pick them up, he heard the creak of a floorboard come from behind him. He tried to reach for his gun, but froze when he felt a gun against the back of his head.

"I said to come alone, and now your piggy friend is dead," came a voice.

Behind Grissom, Garrett stood with a delighted smirk on his face.

"Lucky for you, killing him has put me in the mood for some fun… though I'm not too sure you'll enjoy it."

" _Gil, look out!_ "

Sara's warning came too late. Grissom had begun to turn and face Garrett, but not before a fist connected hard and fast with the side of his head and eye. His head exploded with light as he fell backward, momentarily dazed.

Grissom shook his head groggily, spots of brightness illuminating the edges of his vision. He could feel his eye already start to swell shut.

"Shut your mouth, bitch!" Garrett snarled as he slapped Sara savagely across the face with the back of his hand.

Sara's cry of pain penetrated the fog in Grissom's head and he rose unsteadily to his feet, his nostrils flaring as his rage grew. A cold glint darkened his eyes and his fingers clenched into tight fists, his knuckles white. His fingernails dug into his palms.

Garrett raised his hand to strike Sara again. But with a speed Garrett hadn't expected, Grissom raced forward, lowering his head and body as he ran into Garrett, tackling him in a way any linebacker would have been proud of.

* * *

Brass led the cavalry of police cars that were speeding toward Searchlight, Nevada. As he approached the exit for Highway 165 East, he shut off his lights and sirens. He got on his radio to order the other cars to do the same.

As the police cars and ambulance raced toward the mine in silence, Brass could only hope and pray that they would get there in time.

* * *

Grissom could feel nothing but pain as Garrett delivered blow after blow to Grissom's face. The hits were savage and came quickly, not giving Grissom time to recover.

Blood flew from his mouth and nose and dripped onto the dusty floor as his head snapped to the right after yet another hit. Still groggy, Grissom fought back as best he could. He managed to squirm backward, kicking his legs viciously at Garrett's face. His booted foot connected solidly with Garrett's nose. Grissom heard the cringe-worthy sound of bones crushing as Garrett cried out in enraged pain.

Both of them were now bleeding profusely. Garrett crawled after Grissom, blood pouring from his nose. They both paused as they both spotted Garrett's gun at the same time.

Grissom managed to gain his footing first, but Garrett's hand clamped around his left ankle and pulled him backwards. Grissom landed heavily on his other leg and pain shot through his calf.

Garrett used the opportunity to get to his feet. He kicked Grissom savagely in the ribs, once, twice, a third time. Grissom inhaled sharply, trying to stifle his cry of pain as Garrett's final kick broke his ribs.

Grissom covered his head with his arms in an attempt to protect himself, all the time aware that if Garrett reached the gun, then it would be all over.

As Garrett delivered a fourth kick to Grissom's stomach, Grissom grabbed Garrett's foot and twisted it. The move caught Garrett by surprise and threw him off-balance. Grissom winced as pain lanced through his ribs, his breathing labored. He scrambled for the gun, expecting Garrett's foot to come stamping down on his hand at any second.

He got to it just in time. Grissom grabbed the gun and rolled onto his back, prepared for Garrett to continue the fight. But Garrett had gone.

Grissom took a second to catch his breath as relief and dizziness washed over him. The fight had carried them out of the room where Sara was being held and into the corridor. But he was there alone. Where had Garrett gone? Grissom realized with a rush of terror that he might have left Garrett alone with Sara.

Using the wall as leverage, he clamored to his feet and started to make his way back to Sara.

Out of nowhere, a shot rang out, missing Grissom by inches. He aimed the gun and returned fire, but the swelling around his eye caused him to miss his mark by a mile. Grissom cursed as Garrett disappeared around the corner, his mocking laughter echoing in Grissom's ears.

Grissom's breathing was labored and he grimaced as pain lanced through his leg as he limped after Garrett. His broken ribs throbbed with every breath he took. With his back to the wall, he took a second to catch his breath, his face contorted with pain. He closed his eyes, and tried to calm his jagged breathing and gather his racing thoughts. Sara and the baby's lives depended on him staying focused. Grissom peered around the corner to make sure it was clear and continued forward.

But Garrett knew the building better than Grissom, and while Grissom had paused to collect himself, Garrett had circled around and crept up behind him. Grissom was completely unprepared for Garrett's next move, so Garrett was easily able to loop a cord around his neck and pull tight.

The cord drew tighter and tighter and Grissom struggled to remain conscious, his arms waving blindly behind him. His vision was becoming blurry, but his hands continued to try to find a grip on Garrett.

Garrett pulled the cord even tighter, sensing his victory. Grissom gasped for air as the edges of his vision darkened. His arm reached out blindly behind him again. He was able to find Garrett's wrist before all his remaining strength slipped away and his hands fell limply to his side.

A shot rang out and Grissom slumped forward, the cord loosening around his neck. He gasped in great lungfuls of air. His body was a mass of pain, the worst of it concentrated around his throat and ribs.

His body tensed and he flinched when he felt a hand touch him, but he immediately relaxed when he heard Brass's voice.

"It's okay, Gil. It's over. Garrett's dead and you and Sara are safe."


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N Many many thanks and much appreciation for the lovely reviews. They really mean a lot. Also many many thanks to my beta piccolina789, and for your patience and understanding on the mass messaging and thousands of questions regarding this chapter and the one that will eventually follow. :)**

* * *

Brass watched with concern and Grissom's agitation grew, as he once again refused the doctor's attempts to examine his injures.

They'd arrived in the emergency room of Desert Palm Hospital fifteen minutes before, but Grissom's only concern was for Sara.

Because of her pregnancy, Sara was the priority and she was rushed to the hospital after being released from the handcuffs by Officer Metcalf, as Brass had searched for Grissom and Garrett. He'd managed to find them easily enough, by following the blood trail one or both of them had left behind.

Witnessing Garrett throttling the life out of Grissom had left Brass with no choice but to use deadly force on Garrett. Brass knew shouting a warning to Garrett would have only endangered Gil's life even further.

Officer Mitchell had been found in the second storage shed, alive with a serious gunshot wound to his shoulder. He'd been transported to Desert Palm via helicopter and the last Brass had heard, Mitch was in surgery.

"Gil, you really need to let the doctor examine you."

Grissom looked at Brass as if he were out of his mind. Running purely on adrenaline, Grissom barely felt the pain of his injures of his beaten body, except when he moved too quickly or the doctor's attempts to examine him touched a tender spot.

"I need to see Sara!" Grissom insisted, his voice hoarse and scratchy from Garrett's vicious attempt to strangle him.

Grissom had not seen her since the fight with Garrett. His head pounded and his broken nose pulsed in time with his heartbeat. It hurt to breathe, but that was all insignificant compared to his concern for Sara and the baby.

Grissom limped over to the curtain and pulled it aside, searching for Sara and ignoring the doctor's protests at his lack of cooperation. Brass and Ecklie placated the doctor before following after Grissom as he left the room to check the rest of the floor.

As Brass and Ecklie caught up with Grissom, about to check another room, two security guards appeared. Grissom paused as he grunted in pain. All the movement had agitated his broken ribs.

"Sara's fine and no one is trying to stop you from seeing her," Ecklie said, attempting to reason with him. "But right now, you need medical attention yourself, Gil."

Grissom turned and glared furiously at Ecklie. The two security guards stepped forward, ready to intervene if necessary.

Both Ecklie and Brass held out their hands towards the guards, stopping them. Grissom pointed a shaking finger accusingly at Ecklie.

"She wouldn't even be here if you hadn't sent her into the field!" Grissom said, his voice raspy. It was clear that he still blamed Ecklie for Garrett taking Sara in the first place.

He coughed, his bruised and battered face contorting as pain flared in his ribs and throat. He swallowed painfully, sweat beading on his bruised skin, as color drained from his face.

"I want to see my wife!" Grissom gasped. "And I want to see her _now_!"

Brass took a step forward, his hands held up in a peaceful gesture.

"Okay, Gil," Jim soothed. His concern for his friend was increasing, as it looked as if Grissom would collapse at any second. "We'll find Sara and then we'll get you sorted, okay?"

With a grimace, Grissom agreed with the slightest of nods.

* * *

When Grissom pulled back the curtain, Sara was laid on a white hospital bed, propped up on several pillows. She was attached to a monitor on the right side of the bed that beeped rapidly. An IV line attached to Sara's right wrist stood next to the monitor.

Her t-shirt had been pulled up to expose her rounded abdomen and a belt-like device with a sensor was strapped across it.

Sara turned as the curtain was pulled aside and the battered and bruised figure of her husband appeared. Her smile of relief was quickly replaced with a look concern as he stared at her a moment before limping to her side.

"Gil," she whispered, seeing his bruised and battered face for the first time. The tears that welled in her eyes were not solely due to pregnancy hormones.

Grissom kept his emotions in check, but couldn't keep the look of concern from crossing his face as he gingerly sat on the edge of her bed. With a trembling hand, he tenderly brushed her hair behind her ear, away from her bruised cheek.

"Sweetheart," he said emotionally as his fingers tenderly brushed against her bruised cheeks.

His eyes took in the rest of the bruising around her eyes. The corner of her mouth was also bruised and swollen and her lip was cut.

Finger-shaped bruises marked the skin of her bare arms where Garrett had gripped her tightly. Her wrists were chafed from struggling against the handcuffs and her broken left wrist was in a cast.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't stop him from hurting you," Grissom continued, unsuccessfully fighting the overpowering emotions that overwhelmed him.

Sara gazed at him tenderly, her smile sad, as she palmed his uninjured cheek. His right eye was swollen shut and badly bruised. The eyebrow directly above it was cut and still bleeding slightly. His nose was swollen and bruised and obviously broken. A deep purple-red-and black bruise was already extending from under both his eyes and over the crooked bridge of his nose. The corner of his mouth was bruised and his lip bloodied.

"None of this is your fault, Gil," Sara whispered with a slight shake of her head, wanting to ease his feelings of guilt. "Garrett wasn't expecting you to turn up as quickly as you did. He planned on killing you for setting him up for Quinn's murder. I tried to tell him that he was cleared, but he said I was lying."

Despite the pain he was in, Grissom gently pulled her into his arms.

"I love you, so much!" he said raspily, his voice thick with emotion. The tears he was desperately trying hold back spilled from his good eye. "I'm just relieved that you and the baby are okay."

He held her a moment longer as Dr. Dana Sands, Sara's OBGYN, entered the cubicle. She smiled sadly on seeing the condition of the couple before her.

Gil glanced between Dana and Sara, his hand moving to Sara's bump, his eyes growing wide and alarmed, as his thumb gently caressed the taut skin. The fingers of his other hand curled tightly around Sara's uninjured hand.

"Has something happened to the baby?" he rasped, his voice catching.

"This is just a precaution, Gil," Dr. Sands explained gently. "The baby's heart rate is elevated, which is not surprising after the stress Sara has been through. The normal range is usually anywhere from 110 to 160 beats per minute. Anything above 160 beats per minute is considered abnormal. The baby's heart rate is reading 185 beats per minute."

"Is there a chance we… we could…" Grissom's voice trailed off as he fought not to lose it completely.

Dana shook her head with a smile of reassurance.

"No. Sara and the baby will both be fine," the doctor said with a smile. "We'll monitor the heartbeat for the next half an hour. I've asked the nurse to bring Sara some food, which often increases the movement of the baby. We may do an ultrasound too, just to confirm the baby is fine. They're both in good hands, Gil, you can trust me. I know that is easier said than done, after what you've both been through, but try not to worry."

As Dana left them alone, Grissom winced and rubbed the side of his pounding head. The rush of adrenaline was fading and he was starting to feel the beating his body had taken.

The curtain was pulled aside again, revealing Brass and Ecklie.

"I know you want to be with Sara right now, Gil, but you really need to get checked over," Ecklie said.

"I'm not leaving her," Gil insisted. "I'm fine."

"And I'm the Pope," quipped Jim. "We made a deal that once you'd seen Sara, you'd let the doctors examine you. Once you're done, you can stay with her, I promise."

"He's right, Gil," Sara said softly.

She reached out and lightly brushed her fingers against Gil's cheek. She could tell from Jim's tone that this wasn't the first time Grissom had refused treatment.

"Sara…" Grissom choked out, but Sara shook her head, silencing him.

"I – _we_ – need you to do this, Gil," she whispered, her fingers running lightly through his greying curls, mindful of his injuries. "It'll make me and Cricket feel much better, knowing that you're going to be all right. Conrad can stay with me."

"No," Grissom rasped hoarsely. "He's the reason…"

"I insisted I work that scene, Gil," Sara admitted quietly. "There was no one else available and I talked him into letting me go. We both thought I'd be safe. We didn't realize that Garrett was in the house right next door. I know you're far from fine, Gil. Do this for me."

He searched her face, seeing the truth reflected in her brown eyes, which brimmed with tears she refused to shed. She nodded slightly, a smile on her face. Grissom finally relented and nodded back at her. He unexpectedly bent forward and brushed his lips against her forehead with a feather-light touch, before gingerly rising off the bed.

* * *

"Sorry, Mr Grissom," apologized Dr. Thomas Strickland as Gil hissed sharply in pain as his broken nose was examined. "I'll need an x-ray to confirm that there are no loose bone fragments. In three days, when the swelling has subsided a little more, I can manipulate the bone back into place and splint it."

Next, the doctor turned his attention to Grissom's neck, watching his patient carefully as Grissom rubbed his temple.

"Do you suffer from migraines?" he asked as he examined the swelling and bruising on Grissom's neck.

Along with a thin, red ligature mark, Grissom's neck also had abrasions and claw marks where he had tried to tear the cord from his neck.

"Yes," Grissom croaked. "I take extra strength acetaminophen."

"And how are you finding those?" the doctor asked as he continued his examination and took notes.

"Not as effective as they were," Grissom acknowledged, remembering the last migraine he'd endured.

The doctor hummed thoughtfully.

"I'll prescribe Sumatriptan for the migraines. Because of the hoarseness of your speech, I want to examine your vocal cords and larynx for any signs of swelling. It's a simple procedure and won't take very long."

He used an antiseptic spray to numb Gil's throat and minimize his discomfort and gag reflex.

While he waited for the spray to work, the doctor finished up his examination, ordering more x-rays for his badly bruised ribs.

Finally, all that was left was the examination of any damage to Grissom's vocal cords. Using a device with a fiber optic cable with a light at the end, the doctor watched the monitor. Although swelling was visible, he was satisfied with the results.

"Considering what you've endured, Mr. Grissom, I can say that you're lucky to be alive. The swelling to your vocal cords and larynx will heal with rest and fluids. I'll also prescribe anti-inflammatories. Ideally, I'd like to keep you here for a few days as a precaution and for observational purposes."

Grimacing, Grissom shook his head.

"I'm staying with my wife," he whispered hoarsely. "She was attacked by the same madman and she's five-and-a-half months pregnant."

Dr. Strickland nodded, having already heard that news from Captain Brass.

"I'll make sure you're seen to as quickly as possible, Mr. Grissom, so you can return to your wife's side. I'll get you your medication, so you're a little more comfortable."

* * *

Finally, Grissom was able to return to Sara's side, where Dr. Sands was busy setting up the ultrasound.

Grissom quickly approached his wife, kissing her forehead as he curled his fingers around her hand and settled into the chair next to her bed. The fetal monitor on the opposite side was beeping at a much slower rate and Grissom hoped that it was good news.

"The heart rate has dropped to a much more normal rate," Dana confirmed with a smile. "A happy 145 beats per minute."

Gil and Sara shared a relieved smile and Sara squeezed his hand tightly.

A grey image appeared on the monitor as Dana moved the transducer over Sara's stomach. The baby squirmed at the intrusion and kicked twice, making Sara wince.

Dana smiled.

"You have a very active and happy baby, Sara. Seems baby was hungry, just like Mom."

The baby turned and Dana's smile widened.

"I know it wasn't possible to see the gender at your twenty week scan, but if you'd like to know, I can show you now."

Sara glanced at Grissom to gauge his reaction. Seeing the hope in Sara's eyes, Grissom nodded. When Dana paused the image, their grins widened.

"I'm happy with the results of the fetal heart monitor and ultrasound, Sara," Dr. Sands continued after a few moments. "We'll keep you here for a few days, but it's just a precautionary measure."

* * *

Four days after Sara's hospital admission, Ecklie visited them both. With the exception of Jim driving Grissom home so he could freshen up and get a fresh change of clothes, Grissom hadn't left Sara's side.

Dr. Strickland had informed Grissom of his x-ray results shortly after Sara had been moved to the maternity ward and installed in a room of her own. Although they would be extremely painful for a several more weeks, Grissom was lucky that Garrett's vicious kicks had only cracked his ribs, narrowly avoiding a more serious injury. As long as he took adequate pain relief and took deep breaths to avoid the risk of developing pneumonia, he'd make a full recovery. The swelling in his throat was starting to go down and his broken nose had been reset and splinted.

The fall on his knee had resulted in an overstretched ligament. Strickland had recommended a supportive knee brace for the first few days to help stabilize the knee and prevent further damage.

Though he felt uncomfortable, Grissom knew how lucky he'd been. He was looking forward to Dr. Sands' visit and hoped that she would allow Sara to go home.

In the lab, it had been decided that it would be best to wait a few days before telling Gil and Sara the news that the sheriff had been helping Garrett. After the scare with Cricket's heart beat, no one was prepared to take any chances to cause Sara any more stress.

After exchanging the usual pleasantries, Ecklie settled down to business.

"After what you've both been through, I delayed telling you that Mike Garrett had an accomplice in his vendetta against you," Ecklie began, carefully watching the couple. He paused a heartbeat before dropping the bombshell.

"It was Rory Dunbar."

"The _sheriff_?" Grissom asked incredulously.

Sara and Grissom's faces both reflected their shock at the news.

"Has he said why?" Grissom demanded. "I know he resented our reinstatement and I suspect that he was involved in more than a few delays on cases over the last few months, but telling Garrett to harm Sara and the baby..."

Ecklie shook his head.

"Rory hasn't said much, but one thing he does insist on is that Sara's kidnapping was all Garrett's idea," Ecklie said. " When he heard what happened to Sara, he called Garrett out and tried to talk him into releasing her. Garrett wouldn't listen, knowing it would draw you out. By that time, Garrett had called you and lured you to the mine in Eldorado Canyon."

"Does this mean we still aren't safe?" Grissom asked, glancing at Sara worriedly, his hand gripping hers more tightly. His voice was still harsh and raspy.

Ecklie shook his head.

"We're going to play it safe," he said. "Until we've finished the investigation into Dunbar, once Sara is released, arrangements have been made to take you to the safe house in Summerlin. We're not taking any chances, this time, Gil. Because we can't be sure who else Rory has working for him, the only people that know about this besides myself are the grave shift and Jim, who will be taking you there. We will get to the bottom of this, Gil. You have my word."


	23. Chapter 23

_A/N Many thanks as always for the reviews. Each and everyone is very much appreciated. of course, this wouldn't be possible without the fantastic beta from picollina789, whose encouragement, advice and patience has meant so very much._

* * *

"How are Gris and Sara doing?" Nick asked Catherine as they shifted through the evidence from the now ex-sheriff's house. It had been a week since Grissom and Sara had moved to a safe house facing Lake Jacqueline in Summerlin.

Catherine suspected that even now, Ecklie still felt responsible for giving Garrett the opportunity to abduct Sara and endangering the life of not just Sara and her unborn baby, but Grissom's too. As a result, he had called for all hands on deck, including extra manpower from days and swing shift. He was determined to leave no stone unturned.

Catherine recalled the tension in the air when she'd visited them before the start of shift. As she'd walked into Grissom and Sara's living room, it was obvious that she'd walked in on an argument between them.

 _Grissom had stood still, clutching a cushion to his stomach, his face creased with pain. Sara's body had been tense as she pushed her hair back from her face with one hand, looking far from happy._

 _Before Catherine even had a chance to say hello, Grissom had thrown the cushion on a nearby chair with a grimace, before limping out of the open sliding doors and into the spacious backyard._

Catherine glanced briefly in Nick's direction as she continued to concentrate on shifting through the evidence.

"I think the strain of being confined to the safe house is getting to them," she admitted quietly, not wanting to speak ill of their friends. "Not that I can blame them. They're frustrated, they're not sleeping well and on top of that, Gil feels like he didn't do enough to protect Sara and the baby."

"He almost lost his life trying to protect Sara and the baby," Nick said, looking up from the table briefly. "He did the best he could, if not more, under the circumstances. He's being far too hard on himself."

"He's tired, in pain and feeling overwhelmed by everything that's happened," Catherine replied. "He just wants answers, as we all do, and he has to rely on others to find them for him. He's a hands-on kind of guy, Nick, and taking a back seat isn't his style."

"Do you think they'll be all right?" Nick asked worriedly as he searched through a pile of papers. "They haven't had the greatest of starts to their married life together. What they've been through could break anyone."

Catherine shook her head with a smile.

"They'll be fine, Nicky," she assured him. "They broke policy to be together. As long as they've got each other, they'll survive anything."

Nick frowned as two photos fell out of the papers he was looking through. One was of two boys that were clearly brothers. He took a guess that the older of the boys was in his late teens and the younger boy was no more than seven or eight. He flipped over the photo to see if there was a inscription.

"Tyler and Frank D, Summer '76," he read out loud.

Nick picked up the second photo, which showed the older boy alone. On the back was only a name. _Tyler Darrow._

He showed Catherine the two pictures. His instincts told him that there had to be some importance attached to the pictures for Rory to have kept them.

"I'm going to run the name and see what comes up," he said as he left the room.

* * *

It was late afternoon and the cool breeze that blew in off the lake was enough to cool the trapped heat of the midday sun.

Sara paused a moment as she stepped out into the spacious backyard of the safe house, appreciating the cool breeze that wafted over her and tousled her hair.

Palm trees dotted the property, providing shady spots that fell naturally over the pool that neither had any interest in using since arriving there just over a week ago.

Grissom stood by the low rear wall, facing out towards the lake and the sailboats that dotted the horizon.

It had been just over a week since his desperate fight with Garrett. Although still painful, his broken nose was healing and the splint had been removed. The swelling around his eye was starting to go down and wasn't as puffy as it once was. The vivid, purple-red colored bruise was still quite prominent around his eyes, but it was now tinged with sickly shades of green and yellow.

The bruising on his ribs and stomach was still extensive and still proved painful, despite his efforts to keep ahead of the pain. It made getting to sleep almost impossible. He'd been assured that his cracked ribs were healing, but that was little comfort when he had a coughing fit and had to hold a cushion against his stomach for extra support and comfort.

He turned as Sara approached him, silently handing him a tall glass of lemonade, its sides dripping with moisture. The ice cubes clinked gently together as he took the glass from her with the smallest hint of a smile.

She disappeared indoors briefly before returning to his side with her own chilled glass, standing an arms length away from him.

Grissom took a sip of the cool drink, continuing to watch the sailboats on the lake. He put his glass down on the wall as the silence hung heavily in the air between them. He sucked on his bottom lip. He hated it when they fought, even if it wasn't very often.

Finally, he turned to face her. She was leaning with her back against the wall, still an arms length away from him, staring at the paved floor of the backyard.

"I'm sorry," Grissom finally said, his voice still scratchy and raw after a week of recovery.

Sara placed her glass next to his on the wall as she stepped closer to him, looking up into his face.

"I know you're frustrated, Gil," she replied quietly, moving a stray strand of hair from her face. "I know you want answers and I do too. But we have to trust Catherine and the team that they are doing everything they can to get to the truth. If Dunbar isn't going to talk to Brass or Conrad, he's not going to talk to you. Going to Nevada State Prison will only boost his ego and waste your time."

Sara paused and took a sip of her soda, using the opportunity to gather her thoughts.

"Maybe Dunbar didn't know of Garrett's intention to use me as bait to draw you out, but he still instigated the whole thing."

She paused again, her eyes searching his face as she reached out and touched the side of his head, her fingers covering his ear.

"Garrett almost killed you, Gil."

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"I love you, Gil, and I need you. I want you around for quite a while yet. Until we know who else is working for Dunbar, let the team handle it."

Gently, he pulled her towards him, being careful of his ribs. He smiled crookedly as his fingers brushed through her hair.

"I love you too, sweetheart," he whispered hoarsely.

His gaze locked with hers and his lips grazed against hers. Her arms snaked around his neck, careful of the cast on her left wrist, deepening the kiss.

* * *

Several hours later, they were back in the yard together. Sara hugged Grissom's arm as her head rested on his shoulder, watching the sunset, when Jim arrived.

"Sorry to burst your romantic bubble, but what can you tell me about this fella?" Jim asked as he handed over a photo.

Sara released Grissom's arm as he took the photo, holding it close to his face. Grissom frowned slightly and shrugged as he returned the photo to Brass.

"Should I know them?" he asked, mystified. "What do two boys have to do with Mike Garrett or Rory Dunbar?"

"What can you tell me about a Tyler Darrow?" Brass asked instead.

"I remember that name," Grissom said slowly. "He was found guilty of falsifying evidence. I testified at his hearing. It was my testimony that sent him to prison. Why?"

"Tell me about the case."

"What's this about, Jim?" Grissom questioned, starting to get irritated.

Sara squeezed his hand gently, reminding him to keep calm. He took a deep breath, wincing as a sharp pain lanced over his chest. It was a minute or two before Grissom spoke again.

"Tyler Darrow was a young cop when I was just starting out as a CSI in Minnesota. We'd worked a few cases together. He was one of the few cops that seemed to understand the importance of forensics and evidence, or so I thought, " Grissom began.

Sara and Jim took seats as Grissom continued to talk.

"We'd been working a triple on a homicide and none of the evidence was making sense. Philip Gerard sent us both home, but I couldn't let it go. Something just wasn't adding up, so I went back to the lab and went over all the evidence that had been collected, including all of the lab results. It took awhile, but I learned that Tyler had fabricated all the evidence and the entire case was compromised. I presented all my findings to Philip and Tyler was arrested. During the I.A. investigation that followed, it came to light that tampering with evidence was only the tip of the iceberg and he had fingers in a lot of pies. Prostitution, drug dealing, and extortion... offering protection to the criminals he'd recruited. His family pleaded his innocence, but the case was solid and the evidence against Tyler was sound. I was called to testify against him, he was found guilty and sentenced to fifteen years in prison. His family tried to appeal the sentence, but the conviction stood."

Jim nodded and then handed over another photo, this one of a teenage boy.

"What about him? Remind you of anyone?"

Grissom gazed at the photo a moment. He could tell it was of a teenage boy somewhere in his mid-teens, but it was hard to see the details without his glasses. Finally, he shook his head and gave the photo back to Jim.

"Can't say that I remember him," Grissom admitted, taking a seat next to Sara. "Who is it?"

Jim pushed yet another photo towards Grissom.

"What's the connection between Rory Dunbar, Ty Darrow and the teen?"

Jim moved the photo of the unknown teen and Rory next to each other. Then the photo of the two boys Nick had found.

Jim remained silent as Grissom finally made the connection. He glanced at Jim with wide eyes as everything finally clicked into place.

"Rory Dunbar is Tyler Darrow's _younger brother!_ " Grissom asked shocked by the discovery.

Jim nodded.

"He was known as Frank Darrow then. He was in court the day his brother was convicted. It hit him hard and he always maintained his brother's innocence and the claim that he'd been set up. Any of this sound familiar?" Jim asked. Grissom and Sara both nodded. Mike Garrett had claimed the same thing.

"Did you know that Tyler's wife was seven months pregnant with their third child when he was arrested?" Jim continued.

"Yes, I did," Grissom admitted. "But I-I couldn't turn a blind eye to was he was doing either. I would have compromised myself too…"

"Hey, I'm not judging," Jim soothed, moving his hands in a placating gesture. "You made the right call, Gil. I'd have done the same. Do you know what happened to Tyler after he was convicted?"

Grissom nodded, remembering the teenager Jim had shown him.

"He was found dead in his cell. He hung himself. Frank blamed me for his brother's death. He claimed it was my persecution of his brother that made him take his life."

"Because of the new evidence, we've been able to investigate this family a little further," Brass said. "When Frank decided to follow in his brother's footsteps, he had to legally change his name to separate himself from his family's past. After that, he was able to follow your career. He moved to the same state as you within two years. It seems he'd learned a trick or two from his brother, including recruiting criminals to do his dirty work for him. He just learned from Tyler's mistakes and was better at it. Garrett was just his latest success. And Rory knew Garrett wouldn't need much convincing to join Rory's vendetta against you."

Jim paused a moment before continuing.

"Catherine said that you want to talk to Dunbar. As your friend Gil, I'm advising you to stay clear of him. He almost succeeded in his vendetta. You've got an amazing young wife to consider and in a few months, you'll have your hands full with the baby. They're all that matters."

* * *

"Sara, there's nothing more to discuss," Grissom insisted forcefully.

It was three days after Brass' visit and Sara had overheard a very important phone call.

"I almost lost you both, and I can't face that again," Grissom continued. "I _won't_ place you or myself in that position again. _Nothing_ is worse than losing you, or each other. My mind is made up. You and the baby are far more important."

"You've really thought this through, haven't you?" Sara stated.

She started to realize that Grissom was being completely serious about this situation. She'd slowly become aware of a change in him over the past weeks, more so after Jim's discovery of Rory's past. Looking back, she realized the subtle change had begun while he'd been in L.A.

"I have," Grissom said with finality, his voice breaking into her thoughts.

He sighed, his voice softening along with his gaze.

"I love you, Sara, more than I can ever hope to express to you," he admitted. "And as cliché as it sounds, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, grow old with you... and watch our children grow."

"Our _children_?" Sara questioned with a raised eyebrow and smirk on her face. "So you plan on having more?"

With a cheeky grin, he gathered her into his arms, stealing a kiss.

"The thought has crossed my mind," he admitted, his tone telling her that the decision was entirely hers to make.

Her smirk widened into the full Sidle smile he hoped their children would inherit.

"Let's see how we do with Cricket, first," she suggested, resting her hands on the back of his neck.

"Absolutely," he agreed quickly.

He gave her a slow and lingering kiss, thinking of how far he'd come since learning of the pregnancy.

He'd been terrified at the very thought of becoming a father. Now, he was looking forward to the birth of his first child and considering the possibility of more, if Sara was willing. His unexpected trip to L.A made him realize just how deep his feelings for her were. And he'd been genuinely shaken when Catherine had made him realize he'd started to take Sara for granted and that he'd failed to notice that she was struggling with the pregnancy. He'd vowed then that he'd try harder to tell how her how he truly felt. The last few months had shown him that life was precious and could be taken away in an instant on a mere whim. He'd been afraid of losing her, but now the very thought of a life without her or the baby was unbearable.

When the kiss ended, Sara sighed contentedly.

"When are you planning on telling the team?" she asked.

"Tonight. Jim's coming over and taking us to the lab. Conrad also needs to be informed."

"You're sure you really want to do this?" Sara asked a final time.

"I do."

* * *

After leaving Conrad's office, Grissom and Sara entered the break room and were greeted warmly by their colleagues. After all the well wishes and careful hugs, the general chat turned to the future.

Grissom glanced at Sara with a slightly raised eyebrow and Sara nodded and grasped his hand, entwining her fingers through his, squeezing reassuringly. She knew how difficult this announcement was for him. This was their first public display of affection in front of the whole team and the room quickly quietened, as everyone anticipated what Grissom had to say.

"After some careful thinking, I've decided to leave the lab," he said in his soft voice, aware of the shock his statement would make. "I've decided to take a teaching position at the university to try and improve their science program and when the occasion permits, to guest lecture."

"But why?" Nick asked, looking shocked. His expression was mirrored by the others seated around the table. "There's plenty you still need to teach us."

Grissom allowed a small smile as he shook his head.

"You've learned all you need to know. Even Greg has excelled. You're always learning and you'll continue to learn from each other. I have to do this. I have to do what's right for Sara and my family. This isn't a goodbye, just a new beginning. And we'll stay in touch, and we'll visit with Cricket. Conrad is aware of my decision and also agrees with my recommendation of Catherine becoming supervisor. It's time for me to go."

Sara's grip on Grissom's hand tightened. When she glanced at Grissom, he nodded his head slightly in encouragement.

"I've also made a decision," she said. "I've decided to change to day shift once my maternity leave is up. Since Gil will be working days at the university, it's reasonable that I should too. But we can all still hang out and we'll visit."

After several minutes of silence, as the news sank in that Grissom was really leaving, Nick summed up what everyone was thinking.

"We'll miss you, Grissom."

He inclined his head slightly, in acknowledgment. He'd miss them too.


	24. Chapter 24

_A/N: And we've arrived at the final chapter. It was always intended to finish like this. I hope that you all like how this turns out. I'm sad that this is finally over. I've enjoyed writing this so much, and have been encouraged and overwhelmed by your support through your wonderful reviews. They are all so very much appreciated. This story would never have been possible without the amazing beta by picollina789. As this was only my 2nd go at writing for CSI and her first as a beta I really think she did an amazing job, and we made a great team. Piccolina789, this chapter is most definitely for you. And i really hope all my reviewers enjoy this chapter as much as you have the rest of the story. xx_

* * *

 _Three months later_

 _August 17th_

Catherine looked up from the menu just in time to see Gil, his arm linked through Sara's, step through the front door. She watched as they placed sunglasses on their heads at the same time, in perfect symmetry.

She waved to let them know she'd seen them. With a quick glance at each other, the lovebirds approached the table, Sara with more of a waddle in her gait, with smiles on their faces.

"Hey, its the birthday love bug!" quipped Nick with a beaming smile. He half-rose from the booth they were sitting in and shook hands with Grissom.

"Happy birthday, Gris!" the salutation was echoed by the others.

"Thanks, " he replied with a grin.

Catherine kissed his cheek and then turned to Sara.

"Hey, look at you!" she greeted as she hugged Sara briefly. "You look ready to burst, it's only been a week since we last saw you!"

Sara rolled her eyes.

"Tell me about it," she replied as she puffed out her cheeks.

Gil stepped back to let her enter the large booth first before joining her on the end. He leaned in close to her, his left arm falling automatically behind her, his hand resting on her side.

Catherine watched with a smile on her face as Gil and Sara chatted with the guys, marveling at how much Gil had changed over the last few months since leaving the lab. Now that he wasn't constrained by the ties of professionalism as their boss, he'd slowly allowed himself to relax around them.

 _It hadn't happened overnight. Over the succeeding weeks and months as the investigation continued into Rory Dunbar's past, he'd allowed them a small glimpse into his and Sara's still private world._

 _As the investigation continued_ , _new evidence was brought to light and suspects were arrested and charged, Gil and Sara's tension continued to ease as the knowledge of their safety increased._

 _It was while they'd all been celebrating the conviction of Rory and his_ a _ssociates, which also included his two nephews, that Gil had kissed Sara for the first time in front of them_.

Catherine's thoughts returned to the present and she spotted Sara's crystal butterfly pendent. The champagne-colored crystal was encased in diamonds in the shape of a butterfly with its wings folded back. It brought out the brown of her eyes and went well with her sliver-grey maternity blouse.

"That pendent is gorgeous!" Catherine complemented Sara.

Gil and Sara shared a glance, their eyes sparkling.

"Gil gave it to me this morning."

Catherine raised an eyebrow.

"You do realize that _you're_ the one that receives gifts on your birthday, not the other way around?"

Grissom turned to face Sara with a look in his eyes that gave Catherine goosebumps, knowing that none of her conquests had ever looked at her in quite that same way.

Gil brought up his hand, resting it gently against Sara's baby bump, smiling proudly.

"I have everything I want right here and the best is yet to come."

"There's no guarantees that today is the big day," Catherine reminded him. "Only a small number of babies arrive on their due dates. If Cricket, is anything like their father… they'll definitely need a big hint."

Sara shifted uncomfortably next to Gil as the twinge in the small of her back increased slightly. As she became increasingly restless, Gil rose from his position on the bench to allow Sara to head for the restroom, for what Gil considered to be the thousandth time that morning.

She'd been feeling restless for a few days, pacing through the townhouse, not sure exactly of where it was she wanted to be. Early one morning, he'd awoke alone in bed, only to find her attempting to rearrange the kitchen. He'd managed to persuade her to return to bed, only for her begin the frequent trips to the bathroom.

Grissom watched as Sara waddled to the restroom, making no effort to hide the fact that he was checking her out.

Catherine leaned a little closer to him over the table with a mischievous grin on her face, unable to resist an opportunity to tease him.

"Gil," she said softly.

"Gil," she repeated just a little louder, when it became clear that he hadn't heard her.

"Hmm?" he answered, sounding distracted as he continued to watch Sara.

"Roll your tongue back in and close your mouth."

Grissom turned to face Catherine with a smirk, his eyes gleaming with a love he no longer had the desire to hide. When Sara returned, rubbing her back, Gil rose to his feet to allow her to enter the booth.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked as he returned to her side, beginning to massage her back without a second thought.

Sara nodded, ignoring the slight tightening across her bump. Their breakfast orders came and talk turned to other matters. They finished up breakfast and said their goodbyes, promising to see each other soon. As Grissom and Sara walked to their car, Gil grasped Sara's hand in his, entwining his fingers with hers.

Sara's pace slowed until she came to a stop and she puffed out her cheeks, rubbing the spot on her bump when she felt the slight tightening again.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Gil asked as he stood watching her.

Sara nodded, looking up at him with a nervous smile.

"I'm fine, stop fretting," she teased, and they continued to walk the short distance to the car.

"I'm not fretting," he replied as he walked beside her, a hand on her arm. "I'm just wondering if we should cancel our plans and get you checked out at the hospital."

"It's far too early to think about cancelling our plans," she answered as they neared the car.

While they hadn't really made any specific plans for Grissom's birthday, they had made arrangements for lunch at _La Cave_ at the Wynn, where they'd had their first date.

When they reached the car, Sara turned to face him. Her hands glided up his shirtfront, her hands coming to rest behind his neck. She stroked the hair on the nape of his neck.

"I love you," she whispered, his hands coming to rest on either side of her bump as their lips met in a slow kiss.

When they parted, she caressed his bearded cheek and said, "Happy birthday, Gil."

His thumb brushed against her cheek, tracing her jawline, before brushing lightly over her lips.

"I love you too, honey," he returned softly, as he drew her closer. "And the best is still to come."

The kiss continued for several minutes before Sara drew back with a soft, surprised, " _Oh_!". The slight tightening she'd been feeling was growing in strength. She turned her gaze to Gil with a mixture of excitement and dread on her face.

"Maybe getting checked out isn't such a bad idea after all," she suggested.

* * *

Later that night, once the assignments had been handed out, Catherine headed back to her office.

Sinking into the chair with a sigh, she stared at the stack of never-ending paperwork. Since taking over the supervisor position, she had come to understand why Grissom had loathed it so much and frequently allowed it to slide. He'd never been one for office politics... or any politics for that matter.

Her gaze fell on the jar containing the radiated foetal pig sitting on the far corner of the desk that Gil had insisted on giving to her as a "office warming" gift. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards.

He had kept his word on keeping in touch, although the breakfast meeting that morning had been the first time they'd all been together since the baby shower three weeks before.

It had been good to see him looking happy and relaxed, or at least as relaxed as any father-to-be could expected to be on the eve of becoming a father for the first time.

Her glance returned to the piles of paperwork, and she decided to take a leaf out his book and forgo the paperwork a little longer.

She turned her attention to the laptop, deciding to check her emails first. Among the usual memo's and other internal correspondences was an email from Conrad Ecklie, who had been promoted to sheriff once the investigation into Rory Dunbar had concluded.

Underneath Conrad's email was one from Gil, sent just a few hours previously. She quickly opened it, a huge smile appearing on her face as tears pricked her eyes.

It was a photo of very happy and proud looking Grissom, his arm around a smiling but clearly exhausted Sara. Sara was cradling a newborn whose features mirrored Gil's, with curly brown hair and the bluest eyes to rival his father's.

Underneath the photo was a small caption.

 _"Mother and baby_ _are_ _well and doing great. Sara did fantastic. We decided that Daniel James suited him much better than Cricket._ _Love from all three of us._ _"_

Catherine leaned back in her chair and shook her head slightly. It was still so unbelievable to see Gil as a married father of one. But if anyone deserved happiness, it was Gil Grissom.

Finally, he could have his happily ever after.


End file.
